Jonah is one of the most widely known biblical characters. His story is often minimized to a fun children’s tale about him being swallowed by a big fish. However, when we look at his whole story, it’s permeated with anger, arrogance, prejudice, and bitterness. Bitterness, as seen in Jonah’s life, is a callousness that comes from our firm belief that we deserve better than how we’re being treated or someone else deserves worse than how they’re being treated. Jonah’s bitterness toward his enemies leads him to complain about God’s compassion on them. When bitterness is living in our blindspot, we can become numb to the grace and mercy of God.
