salm 19:1-6; Deuteronomy 30:11-14; Romans 10:8b-18; Matthew 4:18-22
ANDREW the APOSTLE
Fishing for people. I used to work for Bass Pro in Springfield–believe it or not, I was a pretty persuasive lure salesman back in the day. It’s amazing how specialized lures can be. You use this model for species #1, another for species #2, scents and sparkles to attract fish large and small. But Andrew’s not a line fisherman: he and Peter and Co use a net. They get what they get: tilapia and old boots and seaweed, whatever the net sweeps up.
Which is to say, that when you fish for people, you don’t get to specialize. You’re supposed to throw the net–which is the Good News–out and let it do the work. Instead of deciding in advance who you want, you take who you get. You talk to the people who agree with you, and the ones you find difficult. You love the people who deserve it and the ones who work overtime to be unloveable. You serve the folks who are grateful and the ones who make you grit your teeth when you see them opening the door. It’s the net, not the fisherman, who does the catching–and if the net is the Good News, then the catch is a good day’s work.
And if I spend all my time worrying that I’m not getting the right kind of fish, then it’s me, not the net, which needs a change of heart.
