Here is an interesting encounter between God and Jonah. Jonah is angry/put out/ lost face/ wants to die. The people he preached against are safe and the shelter from the hot sun made from the big leaves of a gourd has died. Jonah feels faint from the heat!
God speaking: ‘ You have had pity on the gourd, which grew without work and came up in a night and died in a night. Why shouldn’t I spare Nineveh, a city of 120,000 people who can’t tell their right hand from their left hand …
I, God have seen their works, that they have turned from their evil way, and I repent of the evil I would do to them.’
Jonah 3:9,10, 4 :11 ( Sandy’s summary. The whole book is fascinating.)
Jesus speaking about this event:
‘The people of Nineveh will rise in judgement with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and look someone greater than Jonah is here.’ Matthew 12:41
And God did not destroy Nineveh but what of this generation?
Let us go into the ‘bluebell’ woods, where bulbs lie waiting for winter and then spring.
Still in place with shadows.
It is around 9am.
The wind moves through the leaves as we look out through the woods to a fine oak.
A few thoughts about listening.
‘ One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually to listen to what another has to say.’
Bryant H. McGill
And then this:
‘ One advantage of talking to yourself is that you know at least someone is listening. ‘
Franklin P Jones.
Thomas Hood wrote a poem Autumn and here is a line: ‘ I saw old Autumn in the misty morn stand shadowless like silence, listening to silence.’
May you have a good day,
Sandy 🙂