Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Why Fishermen?
Fishing trips are an important rite of passage for boys growing up in Wisconsin, like myself. Trips with my family up north marked the important summers of my childhood.
Lake Content was peaceful and serene. Yet I have to say the fishermen we shared the lake with were pretty unremarkable. They didn’t speak much, they certainly weren’t dressed to impress, and they were heavily invested in two things: the weather and the catch.
When I read this passage I always find myself thinking, Why fishermen?
Then I start thinking of my time on the boat with my family. My dad never complained when we did not catch fish. For him, it was not about the prize, but about enjoying the day on the lake, no matter what. Some of the deepest conversations I had with my family were on that ten-foot aluminum boat. It was an opportunity for me to come to my parents with my questions and concerns during the season of life that I was in. My folks knew that fish needed time to come to them. My dad was never vocal about his faith, but I could see on his face that he felt the presence of God all around him on that lake.
Why should we be fishers of people? We can take time to listen to the voice of God amid peaceful stillness. We can meet people where they are and watch them come to us with their concerns and worries. We can worry less about the results and more about enjoying the presence of God in our lives, no matter what comes our way.
Brothers and sisters, that is how Jesus is calling us to fish for people today.
Ben Lippert, pastor, Schoenbrunn Community Moravian Church
New Philadelphia, Ohio