Fleeing God

What does a big fish story like the Book of Jonah have to tell us about our relationship with God? Surprisingly, a great deal. In the story of the reluctant prophet we are invited to explore the times when we, like Jonah, have been less than enthusiastic about God's call. The humor of the original story serves, as it does in Jesus' parables, to draw in listeners and reveal our own flaws. Fleeing God is an exploration of the ways in which we encounter God. Not all encounters are times of great joy. If we are honest, we have also had those times when we would have preferred to head off in the opposite direction from God. Using Jonah's story and her own, Tara Soughers explores not only the cost of fleeing God, but also the surprising lessons that we learn on the way, even from the belly of a "big fish." Grace comes in unexpected ways.