What is the relationship between truth and meaning? Just how important is it that every word of scripture is true? Do we really have to be certain everything really happened exactly as stated? Do our beliefs, our experience of God, really depend upon such flimsy evidence?
Truth, in the sense of events happening exactly as stated, has nothing to do with the meaning of a text. Why should it matter whether the events in the book of Jonah happened just as it says? Believe this about Jonah if you wish but so far, the story has not spoken to you. How much of your life do you wish to spend demonstrating to doubters a fish can swallow a grown man and then spew him up alive?
Isn't this like Jonah, who would do anything rather than what God called him to do. And what of the people who listen to you, find God through your ministry and then refuse to believe the Book of Jonah is true? Are you going to complain to God, these people you converted are not true believers?
The most believable thing in the Book of Jonah, is where God ordains a worm, for the education of Jonah. I am happy to believe God ordains worms for all of us.
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