Heaven is above hell is below. Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up. That is our frame of reference.
God dwells above, we are beneath. So it comes as no surprise to us that Jonah went down to Joppa. It comes as no surprise that Jonah went down into the ship. It comes as no surprise that when things got nasty outside that Jonah went down into the hold of the ship. When God confronted Jonah with the next mission in his life Jonah turned from the face of the Lord and went down, down, down, into the most secure spot far from the direction of the Lord he could find. It is not a surprise because we all go down when we attempt to avoid God. We also attempt to avoid God because we have gone down. Continue reading