Ripples in EffectI am confident that you've been told before that your actions affect others. Dominoes. Ripples in a pond. The butterfly effect. But do we realize just how much it is true? Goodness spreads, and so does trouble. We sometimes agree to partner with it, meaning to pay it forward. Sometimes we fall into it, not knowing that we are getting caught up in strife or confusion. Sometimes we help others win their battles. Sometimes we share in their peace. Let's look at some Biblical examples of this. First, consider Jonah. Instead of traveling to Nineveh, where God had directed him to go, Jonah decided to go to Tarshish. He hopped a boat and headed in the opposite direction of Nineveh, possibly thinking he could hide from God. Because of his disobedience, God sent a storm to batter the boat he was hiding on. Imagine. The vessel was rocked as it climbed waves and plummeted down the other side. Water probably crashed on the deck, nearly washing some of the crew out to sea. The Bible says they thought the boat would break apart. The crew threw over their cargo in hopes of keeping the ship from being flooded, and they prayed to their gods but got no relief. You know how this part of the story ends. Jonah finally had to convince them that the only way to stop the storm was to throw him overboard. When they did, the storm quieted. And Jonah boarded a different type of vessel for the next three days. Jonah was the one who disobeyed God. But those around him suffered for it, too.
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