ON THE FACE OF IT, the tale of Jonah and the whale offers up whimsy and charm. A man being swallowed by a fish? But when we delve deeper, this Bible story—seen in its metaphorical context—offers profound lessons about the power of one governing Mind.
The story is this: God asks a Hebrew, Jonah, to preach to the corrupt city of Nineveh, the city of the Jews' archenemy, Assyria. Not surprisingly, Jonah refuses. In fact, he buys a one-way boat ticket to the other side of the known world.
En route, a tempest arises. The sailors pray to be saved and ask this stranger who he is. He answers and says that the storm happened because of him (he knew he had sinned against God). For this reason, he selflessly explains, if they throw him overboard, the storm will stop. The sailors do this, but only after working without success to bring the ship to land.
