Hello my friends,

After mentioning the book of Jonah in last week's newsletter, I was again compelled by how powerful its message of prophetic critique is for Christianity in America today. So, I wanted to reflect with you on its historical context and the honesty in which it was written for its original audience as we navigate all that we have seen unfold in American Christianity in the recent decade and today.

Recommended Resources

​-New Beacon Bible Commentaries Many of you messaged me the last few weeks about Bible commentary recommendations. So, I wanted to mention a few here. I have enjoyed the New Beacon Bible Commentaries over the years. They are both deep and accessible. They make excellent companions to any Bible study. I also have really benefited from the numerous Bible commentaries written by Walter Brueggemann, and Stanly Hauerwas. Finally, two other resources I use often are A Plain Account and Working Preacher. Both are online Bible commentaries written by scholars and pastors that follow the Lectionary through the church year. You can search their archives for passages you want to dive into more deeply.

​-Sarah Mullally named as new Archbishop of Canterbury. Some really significant news for the Church of England, which has chosen its new Archbishop of Canterbury after the position has been vacant for almost a year. It is significant for many reasons, but most notably that Sarah Mullally will be the first woman to have ever filled that role. As a passionate supporter of the need for women in leadership, especially in the church, I am celebrating this news.

​-Pope Leo XIV says 'inhuman treatment of immigrants' in the U.S. isn't 'pro-life' As one whose heart is continually broken by how immigrants and people of color in general are being treated by our government, like the deeply disturbing news we are getting from Chicago, I was so thankful to hear the Pope speak against it yet again. Faith leaders of all stripes must continue to advocate for those who are being crushed by the powerful.

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Jonah: A Prophetic Critique of Religious and Nationalistic Arrogance

The book of Jonah may be one of the most familiar stories in Scripture, yet it is also one of the most misunderstood. Many remember as I do growing up learning about Jonah as a reluctant prophet swallowed by a giant fish, only to be spat out and forced to preach repentance to Nineveh. But Jonah is not ultimately about a wayward prophet or even about Nineveh itself. It is a mirror held up to God’s people. It is a sharp self-critique of religious and nationalistic arrogance that feels especially timely in the age of Christian nationalism.

Ancient Context: Assyria and Israel’s Wounds

To appreciate Jonah fully, we need to remember who the Assyrians were in the ancient world. The Assyrian empire, with Nineveh as its capital city, was ruthless. Its kings boasted of skinning enemies alive, stacking heads at city gates, and deporting entire populations. To say that Israel suffered under their violence would be a gross understatement. They cried out to God for rescue and were longing for Assyria to be defeated. The prophet Nahum, for example famously “clapped” with glee at Nineveh’s downfall (Nahum 3:19). For Nahum, Nineveh’s destruction was God’s justice and Israel could not be more joyful.

It is important to note here that while Nahum's writings are towards a historical context after Jonah's, many scholars believe that it was written before the book of Jonah was. Where Jonah's writings are towards a historical context before Nahum, it is most likely written after Nahum as a didactic reflection in an age of exile.

Jonah tells a radically different story than Nahum. Written during or after Israel’s exile in Babylon, Jonah emerged in a context where former enemies had become neighbors. Many Israelites and Assyrians now lived side by side in exile, even intermarrying. Yet among Israel there remained a powerful faction unwilling to forgive Assyria, determined always to see them as enemies and see them as inferior.

Jonah as Satire and Self-Critique

Against this backdrop, Jonah was written not as a history but as a brilliant satire and self-critique. The story is full of irony and absurdity meant to hold up a mirror to Israel’s own attitudes. Here are a few examples:

• Jonah flees God’s call, while pagan sailors immediately turn to worship the Lord.
• Everything obeys God in the book, even nature itself, like the storm, the fish, the plant, the worm, and livestock, while Jonah stubbornly resists.
• Even Nineveh’s king decrees repentance and the cows join in, humorously covered in sackcloth.
• And when God shows mercy, instead of celebrating, Jonah explodes in rage, not at Nineveh, but at God’s character: “I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (Jonah 4:2).

The punchline of Jonah is not Nineveh’s repentance but Jonah’s fury at God’s mercy. It is a scathing parody of nationalistic religion that wants God on “our side” and cannot stomach the possibility that God’s love extends beyond our religious and political borders, especially those who we consider "enemies."

The Parallels to Christian Nationalism

The critique embedded in Jonah is urgently needed today. Like Jonah, Christian nationalism (and the nationalism of modern Israel’s leaders) insists it knows better than God whom to bless and whom to curse. It often resists empathy, angrily labeling compassion for outsiders as weakness or even sin. Like Jonah sulking outside Nineveh, many in American Christianity rage at the slightest suggestion that God’s mercy extends to “those people,” like immigrants, Muslims, LGBTQ neighbors, or political opponents. The overwhelming backlash from many Christians to Bishop Budde's request to the president for mercy towards these very groups during her sermon is a stark example of this.

The irony is that in Jonah, everything except God’s prophet obeys God’s will. Even unbelievers and animals repent. Only Jonah, God’s representative, digs in his heels. This is a piercing critique of religious communities that pride themselves on being faithful while resisting the very heart of God themselves. What does it say about us when we get angry at God for being merciful?

Prophets Speak to God’s People First

It’s also important to note another contrast that Jonah is emphasizing here. Throughout Scripture, the majority of God’s prophets are sent not to outsiders like Nineveh, but to God’s own people. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Hosea, Nathan, and others all thundered against Israel’s injustice and idolatry. Even when Jesus sent out the disciples, it was “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.” (Matthew 10:5-6). Even His unsettling words about bringing not peace but a sword were about disrupting the status quo among His own people, not launching culture wars against outsiders, like Samaritans for example, which some of his own disciples wanted.​

Yet in our time, culture war Christianity turns this on its head. The message is often that others, like "secular" people, liberals, or marginalized communities must repent, while Christians are portrayed as innocent victims. Jonah unmasks that lie. The book’s central question is not whether “they” will repent, but whether we will repent of our arrogance, our nationalism, and our refusal to share in God’s mercy.

A Needed Word Today

Jonah is the self-critique American Christianity desperately needs right now. It challenges us to examine the ways we weaponize faith for national or political gain, the ways we sulk at the thought of God blessing our enemies, and the ways we resist the Spirit’s call to compassion.

In a world where empathy is dismissed as weakness, Jonah reminds us that mercy is the very heart of God's character. In a time when Christians are perpetually tempted by nationalism, Jonah reminds us that God’s kingdom is far bigger than any nation. And in a moment when many Christians prefer to rage at “those people,” Jonah reminds us that the prophet’s greatest failure is refusing to let God change their own heart.

The question that lingers at the end of Jonah is the same one posed to us today: Will we sulk in anger at God’s mercy, or will we join God in the hard but hopeful work of reconciliation?

Spiritual Disciplines for Inner Balance & Mental Health

I have found that these spiritual practices can help us resist being consumed by fear, rage, or despair and keep us rooted in Christ’s presence. So I thought I would conclude by sharing them with you:

1. Daily Prayer of Lament & Hope
   • Name what breaks your heart before God. End by entrusting it into God’s hands.
   • Psalms of lament (e.g., Ps. 13, 42, 74) are faithful guides.
2. Sabbath Rest
   • Dedicate one day (or half-day if possible) each week to step away from news cycles, productivity, and fear-driven urgency. Rest is resistance.
3. Scripture Meditation
   • Slow reading of passages that remind us of God’s justice and mercy (e.g., Isaiah 58, Micah 6, Matthew 5, Romans 12).
   • Use lectio divina to listen rather than just analyze.
4. Silence & Breath Prayer
   • Inhale: “Be still and know…”
   • Exhale: “…that I am God.”
   • This anchors anxious hearts in God’s presence.
5. Communal Worship
   • Gather with others, especially in small groups, to sing, pray, break bread, and remember that we are not alone.
6. Acts of Mercy as Discipline
   • Serving others (feeding, visiting, supporting) is not only justice, it’s spiritual medicine against despair.
7. Examen at Night
   • Reflect: Where did I see God today? Where did I see injustice or despair? Where am I being nudged to respond?

Action Steps to Oppose Injustice

Grounded in love, not vengeance, here are some practical ways to channel grief and anger into redemptive witness.

1. Stay Informed, but Set Boundaries
   • Read news intentionally (set times, trusted sources). Avoid endless doom-scrolling.
2. Local Engagement
   • Join or support local justice initiatives: food banks, immigrant/refugee support, housing advocacy, anti-violence coalitions.
3. Contact Representatives
   • ​Write, call, or meet with local and national officials about specific issues (gun safety, voting rights, care for the poor, creation care). Consistent voices matter. Your voice matters.
4. Public Witness
   • Peaceful protest, vigils, or public prayer gatherings embody resistance and solidarity.
5. Support Vulnerable Communities
   • Listen to and follow the lead of Black, Indigenous, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ neighbors who are disproportionately harmed.
6. Financial Stewardship
   • Redirect some personal or church funds toward justice-centered organizations.
7. Practice Neighborly Solidarity
   • Build real relationships with those impacted by injustice. Share meals. Offer practical help.
8. Cultivate Hopeful Storytelling
   • Share stories of resilience, justice, and mercy—whether online or in person—to counter despair-driven narratives.

Now I'd like to hear from you! Did you find this helpful? What thoughts came to your mind as you read? Feel free to respond to this email and share your thoughts with me. I look forward to reading them. A 30 Day Devotional: I recently wrote a 30 day devotional in hopes to provide a companion for people seeking to follow Jesus in our world today. You can read more about it here: $20.00 Following Jesus In A World Obsessed With Empires: 30 Days of reclaiming the hope, compassion, and justice of Jesus. Today, our world can often feel overwhelmed by darkness, division, and despair. I created this 30-day devotional to... Read more Get it now! ​ Ways to support: If you'd like to support this project, you can do so through one-time-gift of any amount you feel is right. You can also subscribe through a $5/mo, $15/mo, or $25/mo. Several others have also asked for a recurring gift option that is different from the ones offered here, like this one. If you'd like me to set up a different option for you, please just send me an email with the word "support" in the subject line. As always, I really want to thank all of you for reading and for all the ways you support me and this project every single week. I'm thankful for the ways we are building this together and hope it creates a lasting, positive change in our world along the way! I sincerely appreciate you all, Ben Remember, you can now view this and all previous newsletters as well as invite friends to join through this link: https://benjamin-cremer.ck.page/profile.

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