No careful reader of the Bible needs to imagine “what the Prophet Jonah might have possessed that would move a king and a great city to repent.” It wasn’t “genuineness” or any other innate personal characteristic. It was the Word of God that came to him and instructed him in how to speak to the king. Jonah’s unsuitability for the task is underlined by his reaction to God’s command. So it is with many of the prophets (Amos, Jeremiah, Ezekiel) who object to being chosen by God and even argue with him. It is the divine Word that moves the king and the great city to repent.

So personality has nothing to do with it. Mr. Stankovich acknowledges as such in a later post, yet still tries to return to the idea that “genuineness of presence” is what is needed. It is not. What is needed is faithful preaching of the Word of God, the kind that all the prophets got down to sooner or later. Without this, nothing else matters or has any true effect. People can fast and pray and bewail their sins as much for egotistical self-gratification as they can for true repentance.

That’s an astute exegetical observation, Fr. Hans. It shows a continuity between Jonah and, say, Third Isaiah.

The change of heart and mind occurs through the preaching and hearing of the Gospel. The Gospel is the prophetic word since Pentecost because it reveals Christ when preached and heard.

I hope Met. Jonah returns to speaking. Clearly he has a gift for it. I think he is as effective as Fr. Tom Hopko was/is and reaches contemporary culture in ways the few Orthodox speakers do.

As an aside, don’t forget that much of the Prophet Jonah’s reticence was due to being sent to a nation other than Israel. It was the first indication that the God of Abraham was more than the God of the Abrahamic tribe. That book must have been revolutionary in its day.

In that Mr. Michalopulos has set a light on my comment, it seems to beg my clarification:

The point I was attempting to make was that the “miracle” of Nineveh had nothing to do with the Prophet Jonah per se. He was, in fact, a reluctant, indifferent prophet whose entire admonition is summed up in one sentence: “”Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.” (Jonah 3:4). Certainly the people of Nineveh heard him, but they “believed God,” obeyed the king, and joined with one another mutually in fasting & repentance; and by this obedience, fasting, & repentance, they literally changed the mind of God!

My point, then, was to inquire 1) where are the moral authorities whose “genuineness” of presence leaves no question that they are “sent by the Lord,” and who will, in their person, provoke a “change of mind and a turn of heart?” And 2) where are characteristics of the faith founded in obedience, fasting, and repentance that are the demonstrable “fruits” of the ascetic way? My suggestion is that, ultimately, the answer to the former speaks to the answer to the latter.

Somehow, my comment – “speaking to Nineveh” – has been has concretized into the literal act of “preaching & speech-making.” This was not my point. I spoke of the moral authority, the one who provokes unity, provides direction, who provokes trust, in whose presence “there is the Church.” One is only reminded of the words of, as St. Chrysostom notes, “that Great Moses,” as to the value of “inspiring delivery”

“And Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, ‘Behold, the children of Israel have not listened to me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?'” (Ex. 6:12)

Mr. Kraeff’s point is well taken that Nineveh is indeed ministered to by God’s chosen priests, likened to a service above that of the angels and archangels. What is missing, however, is leadership and authority, and this is never derived from its characteristics, but likewise never mistaken in its genuineness: “‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you’. Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord.” (Jonah 3:2-3). The Ninevites, in turn, inspired Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart to proclaim for history, “I know it when I see it.”

What? Do you think that Met. Jonah’s value as a preacher was that he was a Metropolitan?

I beg to disagree; we have many who preach to Nineveh. They just happen to be mostly parish priests, but that is OK. Also, I do think that in this age global communications, there are more ways to do so than preaching on the agora. Bottom line: having a Metropolitan helps but is not essential in our witness to the world.

I think +Jonah’s critics would never be satisfied even if Christ came back and preached. No one reached into American society with the lucidity +Jonah did, and no one is on the horizon to replace him.

Some are out of touch, some are not. D.O.M, keep the discussion on the issues, not personalities.

Nice observation, Andrew. Telling it like it is. These bloated whited sepulchers of whom you speak (the Orthodox Hierarchy) also do not speak about important moral issues and cower in the face of blatant societal evil. I was raised to respect the church leadership and honor our bishops; however, it is clearly obvious to me that they have lost touch with their people, the “average joe” pew dweller. They, like our corrupt governement, are celebrating Palm Sunday each day and each weekend with their hands out asking for more money.

Don’t count on it Andrew. If they are as out of touch as Fr. Hans suggests, they will simply not fathom the connection. That is, of course, a symptom of the problem. However, I wonder how many of us go out of our way to politely, respectfully and persistantly communicate with our bishops. I’m blessed, I am a member of a cathedral parish and see my bishop frequently and he makes himself available to us and I am always able to e-mail him

The connection between a bishop and his flock is not just one way.

BTW comfortable suburban bishops means that they have comfortable suburban flocks. If we want better bishops, we have to be less of this world as well (the point, I think of the original post).

Met. Jonah you say… And how did that whole “moral authority” thing work out for him? The only way to rescue him is to blame Nineveh, that great city. Unfortunately, admirable acts do not make admirable men (and likewise, magnanimity, a warm smile, or a white hat). I leave to your imagination what the Prophet Jonah might have possessed that would move a king and a great city to repent, but a hint is “genuineness.” And as to your “actual” confirmation that the gifts of asceticism are present – more importantly, present to the point where we, in good conscience, can “encourage a more ascetic culture” because we demonstrate this in practice – I say “γεύσασθε καὶ ἴδετε ὅτι χρηστὸς ὁ κύριος” (Ps. 34:8) which we commonly translate as “taste and see that the Lord is Good (Christos),” but in the vernacular translates, “show me the money.” A conservative speech & (unidentified) healings hardly constitute “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation.” (1 Pet. 2:9) We need to take and receive – to become Nineveh – before we presume to encourage others.

George,

Now that taxes are going up, those Orthodox leaders who live large lives should realize that the amount of available income people have to donate to the Church will be reduced.

Amen, Andrew.

Repentance is an ascetical act.

The ideological solutions of statism vs. individual sovereignty or worse scientism are each filled with the lust of power, control of others and the dark hopelessness and arrogance of nihilism, i.e. the demonic spirit. THIS KIND COMES OUT ONLY BY PRAYER AND FASTING.

The Cross, in all its forms, is the answer.

One way is death, the other, abundant life. Real life, not the erstatz life of the world.

Although the Cross nor man is fundamentally moral in content but ontological

Neither do I find Mr Stankovich’s quote at all applicable in fact his use of that quote shows to me he has missed the point and is merely practicing “cut and paste” exegesis once again.

It matters not what others do, only whether I follow the Lord where He leads me into the Church.

This post reminds me how poorly I am doing and how I have to shed the mind and heart of “The Critic” before I can hope to enter The Kingdom.