The Ship's Pondering and the Fierce Love of God

The ship contemplates breaking apart in a storm while the sailors cry out to their own gods. The God Yahweh pursues Jonah with a severe love, wanting to send him to speak to the Ninevites for their repentance and forgiveness. This is not the volatile God of the Old Testament, but a loving God who intervenes like a parent chasing after their child. The sailors are not asleep, they are actively responding to the situation.