Giving Jonah a Sign

Like most people in the mainline Christian tradition, I am a matter of fact disciple of Jesus. We are accustomed to God dealing with us in ordinary predictable ways. We are used to God going about the business of the world in an orderly fashion. But sometimes our rationality is not prepared for mystery, even miracle in our modern times. Yet, we find these throughout the scriptures in God's dealing with people of old. So, when God speaks to people like me in the language of mystery, dream and sign even though operating with a rational mind, we are forced to take a deeper look at a Reality that is bigger than our rationality. God still calls to us, for there is a hunger in all for the "numinous", the spiritual, the extraordinary in the ordinary which transcends the space, time, material box. This writing is the story of a discovery that I never "dreamed" of making. In trying to escape this "call" I unintentionally became like the prophet Jonah of old - trying to runaway from the voice that called me.

John B. Pierce is an ordained Presbyterian minister. Raised in Louisiana, he graduated from Oklahoma State University with a major in biology with a Bachelor of Science degree. Pierce graduated from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary with a Masters of divinity degree, and was ordained by Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery. He has served churches in Boulder Colorado, Denton, Texas, Spokane, Washington and Eugene, Oregon.