Jonah's Call to Conversion

When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way,

he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them;

he did not carry it out. 
-JON 3:10

Yesterday's Mass readings included a story from the book of Jonah that I found particularly interesting. While most homilies undoubtedly focused on the gospel reading (the calling of Simon and Andrew from the first chapter of Mark's gospel) my eyes kept going back to this line from the Old Testament.

In context: Jonah was sent to Nineveh by God to preach about the impending destruction that God intended to lay upon the city for their transgressions. He gave them 40 days to get their act together or else. And what did the people of Nineveh do?

They listened. They acted. The repented. And they were spared. This brought a couple of thoughts to my mind on a couple of different levels. First of all, street preachers are a dime-a-dozen these days. You can't throw a rock in a big city and not hit someone incited by religious fervor announcing the end times. For the most part, we walk by with hardly a glance. What made Jonah different? What words did this itinerant street preacher use to inflame the hearts of the occupants of this large city - words that cut through the clatter, the noise, and prompted them to change their ways? It must have been a pretty rousing speech!

On a more personal level, what I took from this story is that not all outcomes are already decided. Yes, God sees all ends. And yet that does not mean that all ends are predetermined. We can turn from our own transgressions and seek God's mercy. There are many days when I feel that my own outcome is already decided, and that I am chained to the mistakes that I have made. I believe that I am unworthy of mercy. I may even see no value in repentance.

Yet Jonah's words echo through the centuries to speak to us even today. It's not so much in what he said as the fruit that his words produced. I wish there were some record of how he moved the crowds to action but the fact is they WERE moved to action. It's challenging to me to ask myself if I am capable of such changes. Letting go of my own nature is very difficult and it's a battle I fight every day. I only hope that when the times comes for my judgement that God will see fit to withhold what I deserve.

Running Stuff

So there are only a few days before I embark on the last leg of the Tejas 300 trail series and have my second go at the Rocky Raccoon 100 mile. I've had a couple very good weeks of training and am feeling pretty good at this point. I've got all of the typical paranoia going on about phantom pains, aches, and illness, so I would say that it's a normal pre-ultra type of week for me. I'll work in a low intensity run today and some short intervals on Wednesday, and that will be it. I am slightly concerned that if anything I'll be coming into Rocky a little under-trained, as my mileage over the last month or so has been down for various reasons (Bandera 100k notwithstanding). I've heard that it's preferable to enter such an event under trained and rested rather than over trained and at risk for injury, so I am going to remain optimistic and allow the events of the next few days to unfold.

To be continued!