Facing an assignment equivalent to being sent to warn notorious
terrorists of God's anger with them, perhaps it was no wonder that Jonah
ran away - certainly portrayed in Scripture as no "super saint", he
avoided God and His call on his life. Yet God turned the situation
around as pagan sailors encountered the living God who made the land and
sea and the entire population of a city realised that although they
deserved to be wiped off the face of the earth, there was a God of
compassion and mercy who forgave them.
God's mercy is greater than our failures and through adverse
circumstances and pain, a character of Christ-like compassion is
chiselled out.