Nineveh Character Analysis
The stained glass panel depicted a man being swallowed by a great fish. This man was Jonah. Jonah was a prophet, sent to Nineveh by God. He was a very disobedient prophet and rejected his divine commission from God. God found him while he was spreading the Gospel of the Lord to the Israelites. “Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it; for their wickedness has come before me” (USCCB, Jonah 1.2). However, Jonah turned away from God, finding a ship headed to Tarshish. Consequently, God sent a great storm to break up the ship. Those aboard, including the captain, feared for their lives, not understanding why this storm has cast against them. The captain then found Jonah asleep in the hold of the ship. In awe, the captain said,
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“What are you doing asleep? Get up, call on your god! Perhaps this god will be mindful of us so that we will not perish.” In response, Jonah said that the storm was there because of him and it was not going away until he was hurled into it, stopping its rage.
The passengers did just that. They picked up Jonah and tossed him into the sea, silencing the storm. God then sent a great fish to swallow Jonah, and he remained in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. Jonah prayed to God from the belly of the fish, hoping to regain God’s trusts. After continuous prayer, God commanded the fish to spit Jonah out unto dry land. Without hesitation, Jonah began his journey through the city of Nineveh. He told the people of Nineveh what awaited them: In forty days they could either make major changes in their lives, or the city would be destroyed by God's wrath. Their repentance makes the threatened punishment unnecessary. This disappoints Jonah because it means that he has not judged them correctly. The king of Nineveh led the people into reformation, causing Nineveh’s destruction to be postponed for 40 years.
God was telling Jonah that the flaws of the people of Nineveh did not make them any less of a human than he was.
Each person is worthy of life and brings benefit to the world if you give them the chance. We oftentimes seek escape, because our mission is one that we are afraid to attempt. Our bodies are compared to Jonah's ship. We face moments in life where the fragility of our bodies is inescapable, as we confront moments of danger that seem to last an eternity until they are resolved. As a kid, I was always defiant to my mother when I didn’t comply with her rules. Eight-year-old Khaela was the modern day Jonah. Going against my mothers’ rules oftentimes did not work in my favor. I found myself doing what she asked of me, the second time around. As I grew older, my audacious actions lessened, making me realize that my mom’s teaching methods were for the greater good. That rebellious stage in my life revealed my mom’s dedication to her children. She never gave up on us even though we were giving her a hard time. My mom shows characteristics of God by giving second chances and educating the ignorant. Some are very oblivious to the real world and do not realize that God is here to help. God is to Jonah as my mom is to my siblings and
I.
“What are you doing asleep? Get up, call on your god! Perhaps this god will be mindful of us so that we will not perish.” In response, Jonah said that the storm was there because of him and it was not going away until he was hurled into it, stopping its rage.
The passengers did just that. They picked up Jonah and tossed him into the sea, silencing the storm. God then sent a great fish to swallow Jonah, and he remained in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. Jonah prayed to God from the belly of the fish, hoping to regain God’s trusts. After continuous prayer, God commanded the fish to spit Jonah out unto dry land. Without hesitation, Jonah began his journey through the city of Nineveh. He told the people of Nineveh what awaited them: In forty days they could either make major changes in their lives, or the city would be destroyed by God's wrath. Their repentance makes the threatened punishment unnecessary. This disappoints Jonah because it means that he has not judged them correctly. The king of Nineveh led the people into reformation, causing Nineveh’s destruction to be postponed for 40 years.
God was telling Jonah that the flaws of the people of Nineveh did not make them any less of a human than he was.
Each person is worthy of life and brings benefit to the world if you give them the chance. We oftentimes seek escape, because our mission is one that we are afraid to attempt. Our bodies are compared to Jonah's ship. We face moments in life where the fragility of our bodies is inescapable, as we confront moments of danger that seem to last an eternity until they are resolved. As a kid, I was always defiant to my mother when I didn’t comply with her rules. Eight-year-old Khaela was the modern day Jonah. Going against my mothers’ rules oftentimes did not work in my favor. I found myself doing what she asked of me, the second time around. As I grew older, my audacious actions lessened, making me realize that my mom’s teaching methods were for the greater good. That rebellious stage in my life revealed my mom’s dedication to her children. She never gave up on us even though we were giving her a hard time. My mom shows characteristics of God by giving second chances and educating the ignorant. Some are very oblivious to the real world and do not realize that God is here to help. God is to Jonah as my mom is to my siblings and
I.