Jonah does not fit the typical image of a biblical prophet. In fact, he does everything possible to sabotage his mission of bringing repentence to Israel's enemies in Nineveh. He sets sail in the opposite direction until a violent storm at sea and three days spent in the belly of a great fish bring about a change of heart. Safely vomited ashore, Jonah warns the Ninevites of their impending doom and is shocked when they take him seriously. God has to teach his hot-headed, xenophobic emissary a lesson we all need to hear about divine compassion extending to all peoples. In this week's reverse applique stitched image of Jonah by an unknown textile artist from the Kuna people, who inhabit a chain of islands off the coast of Panama, we see the reluctant prophet sinking into the watery depths where the great fish waits to swallow him. (John Kohan)