There's a lot of humor and happiness in the story of Jonah that we tell to kids. But we can't get there unless we leave out a lot of anger, hatred, bitterness, and stubborn pride. This is a story about God's inconceivable grace for all of the people he has created - yes, even THOSE people. Why do we think it's about a whale?
This week, the story of Jonah told twice - the happy kid story and the gratingly uncomfortable story from scripture. They're both funny, but is either of them meaningful to us in the modern world?