June 16

Jonah the Running Man

Nicholas Sparks seems to have a way to touch our hearts with his stories. Very few people know that the inspiration for his book A Walk to Remember was the death of his sister Danielle Sparks Lewis, who died of cancer in 2000. In a speech he gave after her death, Nicholas admits that "In many ways, Jamie Sullivan was my younger sister." The plot was inspired by her life. I am not a great Nicholas Sparks fan, but I do appreciate what he did in the movie. Actually the movie was the first time I heard girls sobbing in a public movie theater. But what I found so encouraging in the movie was the positive light given a woman of faith. Jamie Sullivan is a young woman who has a relationship with God. And from that relationship, she forms her identity. She is confident, poised and highly motivated. Her identity is tested just about every day she stepped foot on her high school. Because of her old fashioned values and ideals, she faced a hostile crowd.
This identity was also tested wth a relationship with the rebellious Landon Carter, a popular but rebellious student. Both Jamie and Landon participate in tutoring disadvantaged children and performing in the drama. Jamie does it out of her heart, Landon does it because of a court order. It’s a very interesting character development, because Jamie and Landon are exact opposites. These two individuals are worlds apart. Their world views are complete opposites. Jamie is secure in her identity and she is single minded, she has spent her life running towards God. Landon is also running, but he is running from the pain, responsibility, and ultimately running from God.

Today we meet another runner, the prophet Jonah. The book of Jonah is famous because it is has a story about a big fish. But the book is really about forming an identity. Jonah hears very specific instructions from God, but he doesn’t want the identity that God wants to give him so he starts running.
He decides it is better to forge his identity by himself, since the instructions from God seem so difficult.

The same is true for us every day on this Bible reading journey. When I am not pleased with God’s instructions for the day I pick up and start to run away from him. I have convinced myself that I am a better architect of a life than God. When I say this in my heart I too become a “runner.” In reality, running is the worst reaction I have to God’s instructions. Running will only compound the problems of life. The only way to have a secure identity is to follow the word of God. Regardless of how impossible and how dangerous it appears to be.

So the running question of today is this... are you running towards God or running from God?

If you are running from God, it is time to stop and return.