Rual Perkins was a long time friend of mine. I buried him last July. Unlike me, Dr. Perkins knew how to use a hammer as well as pastor a church. He could stretch a board and extend a dollar further than any man I've known. Back in the late 1970's, Dr. Perkins and I took on a challenge to build a Spiritual Life Center for the Conference. Like most church projects, we were big on ideas and short on cash. So the project was stressful to say the least. When Dr. Perkins got under stress, he would say, “Oh Mercy." When things really got tight he would let go with a double “Oh Mercy." One day his daughter called me and said, “Daddy's having a triple ‘Oh Mercy;' we need your help."

The story of Jonah is a triple “Oh Mercy" story. Most of us know about the fish, but Jonah is not fundamentally a fi…