I found in "Patience", written by the same author as that of Sir Gawain, Pearl and Purity, both comic elements and touches of God's care and kindness. I agree with the comments preceding "Patience" in our text that the emphasis, frequently humorous, is on Jonah's imperfections as a man. We are like Jonah: we rail at God's plan, go our own way, repent, receive His help and deliverance - and start the whole process over. The author made allusions to courtly love in his prologue where he says that "to that fair lady Poverty I am forced, / I shall do what I can to win Patience, and dally with both." (I am using a modern translation by John Gardner.) Jonah is indeed comic as he assumes that "If I were to bow to His bidding and bear them this news, / And take me to Nineveyh, my troubles would begin." He expects that he will be put in prison, tortured and his eyes put out. Yet later when he has been delivered from the belly of the whale and has willingly preached to Ninevah, he gripes that the results are just what he said they would be - the people of Ninevah would find God to be an old softie and he, Jonah, is now weary of life! He is sarcastic as he says "This is a marvelous message for a mortal to preach" and wonders if "because of some slip-up of mine [God] has decided to slay me." In the midst of Jonah's comic and broadly drawn anger and disgust at God, the writer still protrays God as both strong and kind. Indeed, the comments in our text are correct: salvation comes not from Jonah's preaching but from God's patience with Jonah. I like the part where before he gets on board ship, Jonah thinks that God would not be much upset "If I should be seized at Nineveh, stripped to the skin, / And stretched on a cruel cross in the company of thieves." Of course, this will happen, but not to Jonah. In a humorous irony, once again showing that God, not Jonah, is the patient one, the men on board ship who have prayed to any and every god for deliverance, worship God as the only true God and "have no other before him" once they realize that their troubles came from this prophet's disobedience. Finally, God contrasts how upset Jonah is over the death of the woodbine plant - which has received relatively little time, care and attention from Jonah - with God's love and concern for His work, mankind. God reminds Jonah that "Could I not endure but as you do, not many would thrive" driving home the point that patience is vital. He also compares Jonah to Grendel and exhorts him "whether in pain or in pleasure, be brave and be patient" finishing with the image of the man who weaves tatters in the wind. I loved the contrast of Jonah's childish stubborness (and his tendency to forget what he should have learned in the belly of the whale!) with God's stern kindness.
