Jonah was a prophet of doom, calling for God s vengeance and not for mercy. Yet the folks of Ninevah took their chances and repented from their sin, down to the last cow and sheep in the kingdom. They were saved. It s never too late to change. But fear does not keep her from what is right.
Perfect love casts out fear.
We must be willing to let go of our very real hurt and let the other person off the hook. We want to make sure justice is done and wrongdoers are punished. But vengeance belongs to God. We must leave our gift at the altar, and go make peace. By Baptism we, too, become a sacred people, consecrating our lives to God s purposes.