Jonah is not a story about a fish It is a

story about a man who hated mercy Until mercy came for

him I heard your word in the thunder Go east to

the violent gates But I went down to the harbor With

my silver and my shame Tarshish looked like distance Like a

road without your name So I slept beneath the timbers While

the black sky broke in waves Down to the ship Down

to the storm Down where my proud heart ran I thought

the sea could hide me From the mercy in your

hand I ran from the voice and the thunder

I hid where the black waves breathe But the deep had

no door you could not open No grave you could not

reach In the rims of the dark I remember What

my pride tried not to believe I sank with my name

in the water And mercy came after me

The sailors cried to heaven The ropes burned in their hands

The cargo fell like judgment into the mouth of the land

I told them I had feared you With salt against my

face Then I chose the weight of water Over turning back

in graves Down past the light Down past the sound Down

where no proud man speaks The weeds wrapped around

me Like a crown for my defeat

I ran from the voice and the thunder I

hid where the black waves breathed But the deep had no

door you could not open No grave you could not reach

In the ribs of the dark I remember What my pride

tried not to believe I sank with my name in the

water And mercy came after me

Salvation belongs to the Lord. It broke through the belly of

night.

The creature carried my confession back up toward the light. So

I walked into Nineveh with ashes in my tone. Forty days

and judgment comes if your heart stays stone. Then the king

stepped down from glory and the violent city mourned Dust on

every shoulder, even beast beneath the warning But I burned outside

the mercy that I never wanted preached I was waiting for

the fire, not forgiveness in the streets I ran from the

voice in the thunder I hid where the black waves breathe

But the deep had no door you could not open No

grave you could not reach You spared me in the darkness

You spared the city too And I still had to learn

your mercy Was never mine To choose the vine grew up

above me Then withered in the dawn And you asked if

I had pity While the city still lived on I

wanted wrath to answer I wanted flame to fall But mercy

found my enemies the same way it found me first