This self-explanatory parable by John Drescher I came across years ago is worth sharing. Here it goes…
Now it came to pass that a group existed who called themselves fishermen. And lo, there were many fish in the waters all around. And the fish were hungry. Week after week, month after month, and year after year, these, who called themselves fishermen, met in meetings and talked about their call to fish, the abundance of fish, and how they might go about fishing.
These fishermen built large, beautiful buildings called ‘Fishing HQ’. The plea was that everyone should be a fisherman and every fisherman should fish. One thing they didn’t do, however, they didn’t fish.
In addition to meeting regularly, they organized a board to send out fishermen to other places where there were many fish. The board was formed by those who had the great vision and courage to speak about fishing, to define fishing, and to promote the idea of fishing in far away streams and lakes where many other fish of different colours lived.
Large, elaborate, and expensive training centres were built whose…primary purpose was to teach fishermen how to fish.
Over the years courses were offered on the needs of fish, the nature of fish, where to find fish, the psychological reactions of fish, and how to approach and feed fish…Year after year…many were graduated and were given fishing licences. They were sent to do full-time fishing, some to distant waters which were filled with fish.
Many who felt the call to be fishermen responded. They were commissioned and sent to fish. But, like the fishermen back home, they never fished. Like the fishermen back home, they engaged in all kinds of other occupations. They built power plants to pump water for fish and tractors to plough new waterways. They made all kinds of equipment to travel here and there to look at fish hatcheries…Others felt their job was to relate to the fish in a good way so that fish would know the difference between the good and bad fishermen. Others felt that simply letting the fish know they were nice, land-loving neighbours and how loving and kind they were was enough.
After one stirring meeting on ‘The Necessity for Fishing’, one young fellow left the meeting and went fishing. They next day he reported he had caught two outstanding fish. He was honoured for his excellent catch and scheduled to visit all the big meetings possible to tell how he did it. So he quit his fishing in order to have time to tell about the experience to other fishermen. He was also placed on the Fishermen’s General Board as a person having considerable experience.
In Romans 10:13-15, “…’Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they nave not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”.
We have been sent! (see Matthew 4:19, 9:35-38, 28:18-20, John 20:21, Acts 1:8).
Following Jesus and learning how to fish for people,
Mark
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