I love Jonah!  Somedays, when I’m feeling awfully cranky, I think I am Jonah.  The fact that Jonah never actually existed is completely moot because he’s a perfect archetype for the outraged believer, a pair of shoes that can fit all of us on one day or another if we’re not ever-so-careful.  Can you hear it?  I can…

“God, I really don’t see why you should forgive (fill in the blank: person, community, nation).  They’re horrible.  They do horrible things.  And I can’t believe you made me go talk to them because I just KNEW this would happen.  They’d be all shocked and remorseful and say they’re going to change their ways and you’d just TAKE THEM BACK.  This is such bullshit.  I love that you’re loving, but could you be a little less loving please?  Just for the moment?  And what the hell just happened to my houseplant, dammit!?!”

And then God replies, “My darling child, I know you’re pissed off.  And I know you’re upset about your houseplant, which you bought for three dollars and forgot to water for two months.  Imagine how I feel about (fill in the blank: person, community, nation) who I did not forget to water, and who is in a bit of an idiot phase really, not knowing whether they’re coming or going.  Besides, there were cats.  Did you want me to condemn their warm, fuzzy adorableness?  No, I didn’t think so.  I love you, I support you, get back to work, please.”

And where does that get any of us, really?  Nowhere fast, or to be precise: just more of the same that we’ve gotten before and in hindsight perhaps been less than utterly thrilled with.  So what’s a girl to do?  Well, perhaps it’s time to do something different, after all.  Perhaps we’re not exactly ready for the kind of forgiveness that God practices regularly, and with us too, but perhaps we can take one step in the right direction.  One baby step, that is.  And what is that baby step for you?  How should I know?  But I can tell you how you’ll know what it is.  The hallmarks will be peace, joy, and love.  When you’re doing something you’ve never done before and feel strangely, wonderfully peaceful about it, when you experience slightly more joy (or slightly less suffering) with choice B versus choice A, when you can logically and rationally link back the action to a base of loving your neighbor and yourself, THAT  will be your baby step.