Warning! Warning!

Flashing lights at a railroad crossing; red flags at the beach; STOP. Biohazard. DANGER. High Voltage! And so many more protective warnings that must be heeded. They are not suggestions.

We have protectors who warn us about potential dangers. Pay attention. Our very own Holy Mother Church is and has been our spiritual mother, urging us to embrace our God-given inheritance lest we suffer needlessly.

Other voices of protectors abound, and a story unfolds from them. God commissioned Jonah to send a warning to the people of Nineveh to repent their sinful ways. They got the message and put on the required sackcloth; even the king stepped down from his throne and took up the penitential look and posture.

God responded mercifully.

And the story continues. Fast forward a few hundred years, and Jesus reminds his listeners of the Jonah/Ninevah story with an extra twist. Here is the One who surpasses Jonah’s voice. Here is the source of forgiveness and mercy well beyond any human experience. No greater prophetic voice ever spoke. A warning of destruction, not so much crumbling a city to dust, but a self-destruction of soul and spirit will be upon us if we fail to heed the warnings and take action against evil. The Ninevites took responsibility for repenting, and God retracted his threat of punishment.

Lesson learned. We must take responsibility for our actions and choose wisely. The reward is excellent, and we can continue living as God meant them to be.

Prayer

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. (Psalm 51:12-13)