‘1:16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea–for they were fishermen.
1:17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”
1:18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him.’
(Mark’s Gospel)
Fishing isn’t easy. It’s a dangerous task and sometimes there is no reward at the end of it. And then you’ve got to sell the fish – and markets are subject to all kinds of problems – and they can get messed up by the arrogance of people with ‘bigger fish to fry’.
Neither is evangelism easy. It’s not as if you just go out there and haul in massive nets bulging with tons of the silver darlings. You have to speak out of the truth of what you have discovered about God, and listen to the truth of what your interlocutor has discovered. Sometimes there is no meeting. Sometimes the truth hurts, and you could have been way more successful peddling a lie. I think I’m what they call a ‘critical realist’. There is such a thing as truth, and we approach it, but always being open to changing our minds. The Bible helps – it’s a wonderful repository of people’s experiences of God – but it also takes work.
But there is good news I believe. God loves the world. God cares about people in poverty (although that may sound less like good news to some). God is aching to give us another chance. God has come into our world in that human being Jesus.
God of love,
in a time of conflict and mourning,
we lift up our voices to you.
We ask for healing, for peace.
We ask you to show us again
what your good news means for our generation.
By the words I say,
by the listening I do,
by your love at work in the world,
may a new hope, a new life,
come to people known and unknown.
God of justice and mercy,
God who calls us to walk humbly with you,
we pray for America today,
that healing and hope may come.