In today’s first reading, Jonah 3:1-10, Jonah enters the
city of Nineveh. He delivers God’s
message to this city, telling the residents that “[f]orty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed.” The people took heed of Jonah’s message,
believing that, in truth, God would destroy their city because of its wickedness.
A fast was proclaimed. The “great and small put on sackcloth.” The
king and his nobles issued a decree, saying: “Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep, shall taste anything;
they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. Man and beast shall be covered
with sackcloth and call loudly to God; every man shall turn from his evil way
and from the violence he has in hand. Who knows, God may relent and forgive,
and withhold his blazing wrath, so that we shall not parish.” And God “repented of the evil that he had threatened
to do to them; he did not carry it out.”
The U.S.A. is Nineveh!
Do we, as a nation, not need to repent
of and turn away from “evil…and from the violence” being leveled upon
immigrants, refugees, the unborn, and persons
who are victims of human traffickers, drug traffickers, and of the slave industry?
Do we not need to rethink government
proposals to line the pockets of the rich, to create more billionaires and to
perpetuate the arms race? Is it possible that millions of people may be without
health insurance and millions of immigrants may be deported (a deportation that
may separate children from their parents) all because of the high probability
of false information upon which many legislative actions are being promulgated?
Are we citizens of the U.S. not in danger of believing lies that are
broadcasted over and over again and which will likely bring disaster to ourselves
and our neighbors?
Is it possible that unless we sincerely repent of our
wrongdoing, cry out to the Lord for mercy and forgiveness and right our wrongs,
that we, like Nineveh, could be destroyed?
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