Patience
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.
posted by Anonymous | 8:02 PM
3 Comments:
I've always been a fan of the Jonah story--mostly, I think, because he is authentically annoying. And his annoyingness (if you'll forgive a made-up word in this blog) reminds me that my humanity (without God's grace) is probably annoying as well. Like me, Jonah questions God's decisions. Like me, he becomes frustrated when he cannot control a situation. When I've thought of his story before, I've considered thematic elements such as fear, running away from God, anger, repentance, and pride.
But patience? Nope. Never even crossed my mind, to be honest. But this poem fascinates me because it makes the element of patience a very tangible part of Jonah's story. Weltha made some good comments about God's patience, but I would contend that the poem is just as much about Jonah's journey toward patience as it is about God's patience dealing with man.
In the Prologue, the narrator tells us that "he who can suffer through sorrow may someday find joy,/But he who for pride will not bend finds pain all the more;/Then better to abide these buffets, be patient awhile." Indeed, to expand the definition, patience at the end of the poem is "to suffer in silence and still hold my peace." We see in the beginning of the story that Jonah is indeed a man who "for pride will not bend"--a man who balks when God tells him to go to Ninevah "without any questions." Rather than endure the task set before him, he decides to run. He learns about patience the hard way in the whale's belly: the text says he waited in the slimy goo for three days and three nights before offering up his prayer of repentance. I'm not sure if he exhibited as much patience as stubbornness here, but I suppose both traits are connected to a similar root.
Finally, after Ninevah repents, Jonah lashes out against God. He feels used; he feels like God's actions have made him appear to be a liar, and he longs for death because of this and because God kills his woodbine. It's funny how God turns the tables on Jonah: Jonah would give anything to save his woodbine from perishing, and the loss is staggering to him. Yet how much more does God care for all the men and women of Ninevah? In the end, Jonah learns that it is futile to be hasty to pass judgement; it often leads to disastrous results. Thus, the narrator concludes, he and Jonah have both learned the painful lesson "That Patience is a virtue, though few find her sweet."
I loved this one. There are so many favorite quotations I could, and possibly will mention. It begins so well in the first line with the declaration of "Patience is a virtue, though few men find her sweet." I find this to be so very true. I have yet to learn the virtues of patience. Though I love the further explanation from line five that "he who can suffer through sorrow may someday find joy." This almost makes the toil of patience seem worthwhile. However, my favorite passage is further down beginning in line 53 where it poses the question, "What good is my grumbling except to get greater griefs?/And if he commands me to talk, though my tongue be raw/I must do what his power impels, despite displeasure/And bow myself down to his bidding, be worthy my hire." All of these wonderful lines occur in the Prologue, so you can imagine how delighted I was to read this work. I learned a long time ago that I could relate to Jonah. How often have I wanted to run the other way when my Heavenly Father has made a seemingly impossible request of me?
I'm reminded of the words of Isaiah, where he states in chapter 42, verse 3, "A bruised reed He will not break." It is amazing to me that when we have run as far and as fast as we can, and when the toils of life have broken us and bruised us beyond repair, that God can still find use for us. Jonah ran far and fast and yet God saw a purpose and chased after him. I love the following description beginning in line 277 of Jonah in the belly of the whale, "He tries to discern in the dark what den would be best;/Explores every cavern corner and still cannot find/Either remedy or rest, only rankness and filth/Wherever he goes in those guts. Yet God is kind" (emphasis mine). At this point Jonah is as far away from God as he could ever dream of being, "Yet God is kind." There is no place too far or too filthy for God to follow. There is a great amount of hope in knowing the remarkable grace of God and how many pains He will go to so that He may bring us back to Him.
I am so excited to see such excellent comments (and excited to see responses and comments period!) and I just "had" to make a comment about something Nicole said. This doesn't have much to do with Jonah or patience (or "Patience") but I think it is important nonetheless. Nicole said, "There is no place too far or filthy for God to follow." I agree completely. And when I say that, I am thinking in terms of what we as Christians consider to be "ministry." It is not merely when people look to us in gratitude with their upturned, tear-stained faces, but it is following Jesus as he steps out into the places he sees his father go - the far and "filthy" places, where he wades out into what is frequently the sewer of human need and sin (particularly when one considers how very bad and awful our sins are compared to his sinlessness!) Anyway, I appreciate Nicole's comments and didn't really mean to use it as an excuse for the soapbox to rise under my feet...I also very much liked Jana's comment and contention that the poem is just as much about Jonah's journey toward patience as it is God's patience with him. Jonah really does not exhibit perfected patience even after his experience in the belly of the whale; he still must learn to "remain the same" (I have been told this is one definition of patience) even when he feels God has used him. Like Nicole, I appreciate and can relate to Jonah since I find some of him in myself, and like Jana, I find him truly annoying and self-pitying.
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