Cassandra, Jonah, or neither?

The gift and curse of knowing

The tales of Cassandra and Jonah are direct opposites.

Image of Cassandra and Noah generated by Dalle-e

In his desire to seduce Cassandra, the god Apollo gave her the gift of prophecy; she could see the future. But when she spurned him, he twisted the gift into a curse, while she could foretell the future, and she would speak the truth, no one would believe her. Cassandra had the knowledge of impending disasters, but had to watch helplessly as her prophecies unfolded, her warnings dismissed as the ramblings of a madwoman.

Jonah was told by God to warn the citizens of the city of Ninevah that their immoralities were going to lead to the complete destruction of the city. He resisted the call but in his flight he nearly drowned and was swallowed by a whale. To save his life, he promised to deliver the message. The king and people of Ninevah believed Jonah, repented, prayed, and changed their ways. God relented and did not destroy Ninevah, and the story provides a lesson in second chances and empathy.

Not all who claim to forecast the future are clairvoyant. There are also false prophets. The evils of false prophets appear in practically every religion, including Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Judaism. False prophets generally speak for the purpose of deception, generally motivated by self-interest, possibly their own or from a desire to curry favor with the powerful.

We are at a crossroads today on so many issues. Who are the true prophets, and will we listen or ignore them? Who speaks the truth, and who speaks from self-interest?

Perhaps you can comment.

1. How do you discern whether a person is a prophet or false prophet?

2. Do you sometimes feel like Cassandra?