the exact same spot

Every now and then I come across one of those profound “a-ha moments” that causes me to pause, knowing I can’t simply shake it away nor quickly become immersed in something else, so as to miss the striking relevance to current day. Before sharing publicly, let’s first acknowledge the true horror happening in the world; let’s specifically acknowledge the radical, Islamic terror that is piercing any global potential for peace…

ISIS is known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Daesh, or simply Islamic State (IS). They began as an al Qaeda splinter group 11 years ago in Iraq, rebranding themselves 2 years thereafter.

Their stated goal is to create a “caliphate” across Iraq, Syria and beyond; this means a unified federal Islamic government, ruled by an elected head of state or “caliph.” They have been killing countless — murdering the innocent via public executions, crucifixions and other awful, evil acts of violence, as witnessed most recently on the streets of Paris, France.

They have moved into Libya; they are less than 400 miles away from the Italian island of Sicily. Their known stronghold is primarily, currently located across Syria and Iraq — an area in which they control tens of thousands of square miles.

Key to today’s “a-ha” is that Iraq’s second largest city — Mosul — is now also under terrorist control. While the city fell the summer before last, the so-called “fall of Mosul” was considered a significant development in the escalation of the conflict with the terrorists. CBS called it a “heavy defeat”… the Wall Street Journal, a “strategic disaster”… and as one former senior Pentagon official said, “The fall of Mosul was something that we had not anticipated. And the suddenness with which that fall occurred was something that — that was a shock. They seized everything from small arms to light-armored vehicles to anti-aircraft weapons. When terrorists of this kind get their hands on weapons, it was a huge concern to us. I don’t think we truly understood the depth of the problem until the fall of Mosul.”

The fall of Mosul was significant.

Hence, on to my “a-ha”…

Centuries ago there existed a powerful, corrupt city. For 50 years, it was the largest city in the world, as the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. It was destroyed in 612 BC, after an Assyrian civil war. This major Mesopotamian city was known as Nineveh.

Many of us have arguably, unknowingly repeated a story surrounding Nineveh for years. We know it better as the story/scripture/you-name-it about Jonah in the belly of that seemingly very hungry whale. Some believe it; some don’t; that’s not the point. I am struck instead by what happened prior to sea animal’s swallowing.

Remember that the reason Jonah ended up in the ocean was that he was attempting to avoid his divine calling. He was on a ship out to sea that encountered a violent storm; the man was running from God, and God seemingly used multiple angles (and animals — or at least one very big one) to get Jonah’s attention.

What was God imploring Jonah to do?

Go to Nineveh.

God told Jonah to go to Nineveh because Nineveh’s wickedness — or “evil” — had come to God’s attention; he could bear it no more.

Friends, the ruins of Nineveh lie on the eastern bank of the Tigris River. What’s directly across the river?

Mosul.

Mosul now actually includes metropolitan areas on both sides of the Tigris, thereby encompassing the former ancient, evil city.

In Jonah’s account, after the whale incident, Jonah eventually went to the city and proclaimed the need for the people to humble themselves, repent, and turn from their wicked ways.

Fascinating how the need so direly exists once more… in the exact same spot in the world.

Respectfully…
AR