There's all these flourishes in the original Hebrew that make it clear the book of Jonah was intended as a story. And yet I grew up with ppl arguing to prove it really happened. Instead of focusing on the deeper points of it bc love your enemies isn't comfy....

I feel cheated by that bs. Beyond the stuff that hurt me. It was just so basic and intentionally ignoring scholarship and other traditions.

And it's not like you can't believe some of the supernatural stuff and appreciate the scholarship! Gf got it taught in a scholarly way via catholic teaching. She was shocked at how it was taught to me lol

I've been thinking about it because it's not as general as 'love your enemies' - Jonah's sin is that he doesn't want to let the Assyrians have the chance to repent and change because he wants them to destroyed, not change.

it's important to draw lines for my own wellbeing and not be drawn into being someone who is supposed to (SOMEHOW) convince people who hate me to change - OTOH, would i hate it if they did change? do i want them to suffer rather than change? i try not to cross that line