h2odevos encores 032612 A Whale of a Tale

"Tried to run fast enough

Tried to fly high enough

Thought that I could dive deep enough

To lose your hold on me

The end of the road the bottom of the glass

The grip of fear that holds you fast

Lost in the valley no song to sing

When you're brushed by an angel's wing

And you're Still In One Peace"

Still In One Peace by Peter Mayer

"Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me. But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD." Jonah 1

I don't know if Peter is intentionally singing about Jonah ben Amittai (which literally means Jonah the Dove, Son of Truth) or not. But, I do know that Jonah along with some of us have at times in our lives tried to run from "the presence of the Lord." 

It's a curious thing, you know, for we crave that safe harbor, the place where there is smooth sailing. And yet, often we don't know what we got until it's gone. Sometimes it's gone because we fumble it away. At other times, it is taken from us by some tragic loss or unfathomable situation. Consequently, "the grip of fear holds us fast." It immobilizes our hands, our feet, our hearts and our heads. 

Jonah found himself "swallowed up" by a great fish. For three days and three nights, he sat in the "smelly belly" pondering lutefisk, also known as Lutheran sushi. My sense is that the heartbeat of the fish set a rhythm that was at the same time hypnotic and also quite grating. "Thought that I could dive deep enough to lose your hold on me."

I don't know if Peter is intentionally singing about The Runaway Bunny or not. But, I do know that the Runaway Bunny and Jonah along with some of us have at times in our lives tried to run from the "the presence of Love."

And so, if that description fits you or someone you know, then I hope the "Whale of a Tale" fish story will catch you. In fact, Jesus called his disciples to be fishers of men and women. And in what is some kind of comedy or poetic justice, an early Christian symbol for Jesus was the Fish. The Greek word for  "fish" is an acronym:  IXTHUS - meaning, Jesus Christ God's Son Savior.

peace,

rtg