Petty has chosen the Old Testament story of Jonah as a message applicable for this generation’s church leadership. God commissioned Jonah as a prophet to go and warn the residents of the great city of Nineveh. Being Hebrew, Jonah felt this enemy of his country deserved judgment. He disobeyed God’s command and boarded a ship headed far away from Nineveh. While Jonah slept, a storm arose which the sailors attempted to outride or outrun. Unsuccessful, they woke Jonah up and demanded a reason for the storm. He admitted it was because he was disobeying God and advised them to throw him overboard. When they obeyed, the storm stopped immediately. Jonah’s return trip to Nineveh included a three-day ride in a fish’s belly—and a lesson learned.

Petty feels compelled to deliver his warning, Jonah-like, to current church leaders. He pleads for the Holy Spirit to dismantle and disrupt traits such as disgruntlement, bigotry, selfishness, and greed. God’s prodding comes not to destroy the churches. As in the Ninevites’ case, He prefers to show mercy. The author places the blame for 9/11 on the church leaders’ negligence because they hold the key to stopping social storms, including racism. The Apostle Peter instructed believers 2,000 years ago to love the brotherhood; not doing so reveals a spiritual issue.

While the author’s personal Bible study is commendable, the inclusion of anecdotal examples and evidence of research would make this book more effective. However, the book does bring up a thought-provoking point. Petty asks what would be the reaction if a prophet like Jonah showed up, smelly and disheveled, in church today. This is a powerful question—thoughtfully put—in the first published work by a promising author.

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