In the interviews after the humpback whale spat him back out, Simancas does not seem like a petulant Jonah; he’s even generous toward the whale’s intentions in scooping him out of the water.

The Odessa American is the leading source of local news, information, entertainment and sports for the Permian Basin.

But inside the mouth of a humpback whale was exactly where he ended up, much to his surprise and the surprise of his father, ... Adrian has opened up about what it was like to be a real-life Jonah.

And while any whale swallowing highlights our helplessness in the face of the power of nature and God, perhaps the real takeaway comes from the difference between Jonah and Simancas’ reactions.

All that is inside the belly of the whale is the name of the Lord. I prodded this idea a bit, and thought back to the darkest times in my own life, the most “in whale” moments I’ve been through.