A Fake Fisherman

I was first introduced to fishing on the Carolina coast in the Fall 1974 while I was serving in my first appointment as a pastor when I was invited to fish with some of the men of the congregation at Surf City.  We made the 90 minute trip from Sampson County to Onslow County and fished in the surf.   Though I had fished many times in ponds and lakes as a boy and a young man, that was the first time I recall fishing on the coast.  Even though I don’t believe I caught a single fish all day,  I was “hooked”  (pun intended) with coastal fishing and have been doing the same since then. 

I was thinking the other day about my next door neighbor to the parsonage there who went fishing at the Carolina coast that Fall.    Unfortunately,  his fishing fortunes were not very good as he (like my first coastal fishing trip)  did not catch a single fish that day.  The  poor fishing success of my neighbor  may have been because he had a beer in his hand that day more often than he had a fishing rod.   To soften the blow with his wife that he came home from his fishing trip inebriated, my neighbor stopped at a fish market where he proceeded to buy fish so he could act like he had caught fish.   You might say that he was a fake fisherman.  He was in the right place and he had the right equipment, but he had the wrong result. 

One day along the Sea of Galilee,  Jesus exclaimed to Peter, Andrew, James, and John to “follow me and I will make you fishers of people.”      Like my neighbor long ago, there are many followers of Jesus who  are in the right place to fish for people in their  neighborhoods, their schools, or their work places.  While my neighbor had his fishing poles and fishing tackle, fishers for people have some faith, Bibles, and the love of Christ.  However, there are too many fishers for people who are getting the wrong result.  Wow to any who are fake fishers for men and women.  Have a joy-filled week.-  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:  Holy God, you have given us the priviledge to share in your kingdom work.  Give us faith and courage  for your work and fruits from our labor;  through Christ our Lord.  Amen.