“Fishers of People: The New Way of Love” Krista’s Reflection for Sunday January 22, 2023
Based on Isaiah 9:1-4, Psalm 27:1 and Matthew 4:12-23
What does it mean to fish for people?
Today we continue the theme of calling. How Jesus began his ministry and called the first disciples. Last week I told you some of my call story and today I will tell you a little bit more. How I was going along as an actress, and things were good for a while – kind of like the first disciples, Simon Peter, Andrew and John and James who were fishermen. I imagine they had a pretty good business for a while and the fish were plentiful. But then things changed. Things dried up.
Like them, I was very focused on catching the next “gig,” impressing agents and casting directors. I went on many auditions to try to catch the next job – far more auditions than actual jobs. I had to compete with other actors for the same role. I was well trained; well rehearsed. I looked and dressed the part. But roles were few. And suddenly the recession hit, and everything dried up. Just like Simon and Andrew, John and James.
I can imagine the first disciples out in their boats. Simon and Andrew are arguing because there are no fish, one wants to keep trying and the other wants to give up for the day, or maybe forever. John and James are in another boat with their father “mending their nets.” I can relate to that too – a time that is not so plentiful – trying to fix what’s broken – maybe it’s me? Maybe I’m not good enough? Maybe I should rehearse more, send more letters, get new pictures. For them, maybe the fish have moved on from this place. Or maybe the other boats stole all the fish. I will never catch enough to feed my family.
Well, my fish had dried up, too. They were nowhere to be found. It was like I was out on a boat drifting, like I had lost my path. Where would I go now? I was so busy worrying how to catch the next acting job I couldn’t think or imagine anything else.
Then I went on a business trip to New York, at SUNY
Southampton, for a Screen writing course. Steve and I had done several short films, and I thought I would write a full-length feature so we would produce it ourselves.
It was raining as I got on the bus alone to Southampton.
The rain was splashing on the bus driver’s front window and the wind shield wipers were swiping across like mad.
I had been studying a Course in Miracles. I was reflecting on what Jesus might be saying to me. I could hear his Words in my head, and sometimes when I wrote things down his words flowed effortlessly. It was listening to his words, that I eventually realized I should replace this ‘Course in Miracles’ with the Bible
As I was sitting there, I felt this desire to surrender.
I grabbed my journal which I had tucked in the magazine folder of the seat in front of me, and I wrote down these words that came to me, “You are walking into the arms of God.”
I had no idea what that would mean.
I out of habit turned to the course, but nothing seemed important. I realized I wasn’t really interested in writing a screenplay. But I enjoyed the many conversations I had at the conference, and I made some new friends. We ended up talking about spiritual things – my favourite subject!
One day we were walking into town and I was feeling a little down on myself. I was explaining how I felt this calling to do something different. Then one of the participants said something that startled me. They said, “You are like the sun. You are so bright! When you speak, you just emanate God.” My eyes widened. That would surely pick up my confidence. As they listened to my story, they encouraged me to work with people, maybe teach drama therapy? or do something more spiritual? It was so obvious to them that I had a future that was beyond what I could see.
My old path had dried up. But a new path was calling to me. The next morning I watched the sun come up on the beach. It was majestic. The birds were pecking the sand for food, and the waves were crashing in with a golden glow of the sun coming up above. I was shaking because I was cold, but I felt like my heart opened and I could finally see the light. I felt encouragement, like everything was about to change, and everything was going to be OK.
I went back home, and like I told you before, it took a while for me to see the path in front of me. But God showed up for me in the voice of
someone else. Like the $20 psychic I told you about last week. On a trip to New Orleans with my husband, I got a similar message, “Hey, you got the light going on! Are you healing the people yet? (Hear that, THE PEOPLE: fishers of people). He told me acting was not the way for me. And “You’ll never be happy until you help the people.” You just need to get the people together, and then they will heal. And then you will be happy!
So I had my these “Come to Jesus” moments. The light had dawned.
I had asked Jesus, so what do you want me to do? And Jesus said, “You will become an actor for God.” I didn’t know what that meant. An actor for God… If you think about it, what I do now is a lot like that. I get up here and speak to you. I give you messages of God, I preach the Word. And I reach out to more people. As a minister, spiritual director, teacher, healer. An actor for God. A fisher of people. This was not the path I had originally chosen. But I am so grateful. God answered my prayer and gave me abundance – not of acting jobs, or “fish” but a new path of love I hadn’t expected.
I didn’t know how I was going to do it. I had no plan, no path in front of me. Just a few voices of encouragement – some “God moments” and Christ calling to me. Follow me.
If this sounds exciting and hopeful, it was but it was also scary, difficult and sometimes depressing. It took a long, long time for me to see the light.
Before I could embrace my new path, I had to give something up. My old path.
Has this ever happened to you?
Like the disciples I had been doing things a certain way for years, expecting my usual returns. I had gotten used to trying to do it all myself. I would go to auditions and compete with other people just as talented or more than me. I wouldn’t get the job more often than I would get it. Sometimes months, and at the end, a year would pass with nothing. I began to lose faith.
There is an expression, when one door closes another opens. But you have to close that door first, I was stubborn and tried to keep it open. Can you also relate to hanging on when the answer is obvious?
Maybe you’ve experienced a death in the family. Or a lost job. A divorce. Or a business that ended. Or you were approaching retirement or had to move suddenly or accept help from loved ones. Change can be very hard, closing a door that you are not going to use again is never easy.
But God doesn’t take something away without giving you something better in return….
So, when the disciples were busy gazing into the water looking for fish from the surface, they fell into a bit of trance. It was gloomy. They were hungry. Their families were hungry. The Romans were growing impatient for these Jews to hurry up and provide their cut of the profits, to give their taxes to Rome (Caesar).
They felt Pressure. It was painful.
They were downcast, gazing at the water, when suddenly they heard a VOICE and looked up. The light was shining off the water and it glowed over the face of a man named Jesus.
A man they had seen, the one baptized by John, the one Andrew said was the MESSIAH, had come for them, and was calling to them. “Come, Leave your boats behind. I will make you fishers of people. Come, Follow me.”
What a leap of faith it must have taken for them to get up and leave their boats, jump into the water and onto the shore. To FOLLOW this strange man whom they hoped was the MESSIAH. A man who seemed to come from nowhere, leading them to an uncertain future.
It’s clear from the Scripture they didn’t hesitate. They jumped out and followed him. Two other brothers, John and James left their father Zebedee in his boat and immediately followed Jesus.
I don’t know about you, but I would find that very hard – to leave family or friends to go with someone I had just met. It would have to be Jesus!
But Andrew was convinced he was the Messiah. His faith, his words of excitement were enough to convince his brother Simon (Peter) and others that he was the real thing. Maybe Simon had his doubts and took some convincing – he was busy trying to fish, he didn’t have time for all this Messiah business. But there Jesus was. And Simon finally saw the Light.
It’s normal for us humans to doubt or delay change. To worry. To hesitate when we are afraid of what the future might hold. To fear failure. I know how that feels – I did not want to fail either.
But we will never change what we are doing until we know something hopeful is waiting for us, calling us forward. That there is Light at the end of the tunnel.
It takes courage to leave your boats behind (leave your worries behind) and walk on dry land, to follow the light of God.
Today, Jesus is not physically present with us – we can’t see him, and most can’t hear him calling. But God is still calling us through the Words of Scripture, and through those who speak God’s words to us when we are in a dark place and need help or guidance.
If we listen, we will look up and see the Light, just like the disciples. We will hear God’s Voice calling us forward. Though it is not easy, and can be scary at times, we will hopefully leave our little boats and follow a new path to greater horizons.
It might be in our personal lives, relationships, or in our work situation, or even how we move forward as a church.
I know, we’ve gotten used to things the way they were, but we too have experienced a dry spell. During and after COVID-19, the fish dried up for a while, and some will never return. We are gazing into the water, like Simon, Andrew, John, and James.
But Jesus called to us,
Look up, I’m right here – “I will give you plenty of fish (not the dating site!), I will feed you, and even more than that, I will teach you to fish for people. “
So, what does it mean to fish for people?
We might be so focused on fishing for sustenance, resources, jobs, money, careers, keeping a roof over our heads, or keeping people in the pews. But how do we fish for people? What is God calling us to do post pandemic?
When I asked this question, I heard these words from Christ: Work hard. Remember me.
Go out among your neighbours and show them the miracles, be who you are.
(I asked – do you mean physical miracles?)
He said:
You are love. You are love. You are Love.
Show them the LOVE.
He said:
I love you. I love you. I love you.
JUST BE! BE THE LIGHT THAT YOU ARE!
Offer ALL your love to EVERYONE you meet along the way. YOU ARE LOVE
YOU ARE CHRIST’S LOVE
BE THAT LOVE WHEREVER YOU ARE
THAT IS THE QUESTION (How do we fish for people) AND THAT IS THE ANSWER (with LOVE)
THAT IS THE WAY FORWARD
So, how do we as people get the courage to hear God’s voice speaking to us. And follow. And how do we as a church, as a people of God, fish for people without focusing on the wrong things or worrying about the outcome.
1. Jesus says, LISTEN to me. WALK with me, go where I go, do as I do, FOLLOW ME.
2. Are we willing to listen? To go where we have not gone before? To love people who are not here, who we haven’t met yet? To be God’s Love in places beyond these walls?
3. Are we willing to follow Jesus, and his other rag-tag followers (like those from other churches, or those who do not have a current church) and those Jesus attracts along the way? Are we willing to join for a common purpose – a New way of Love?
Earlier we sang one of our favourite hymns, “Come in, come in and sit down” – but perhaps we should sing, Come, come, and follow the Way, for we are a part of God’s family. We were lost but we are found, and we are a part of His new Way of Love. Amen.