Now it came to pass
that a group existed who called themselves fishermen. And lo, there were many
fish in the waters all around. In fact, the whole area was surrounded by
streams and lakes filled with fish. And the fish were hungry.
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. Continually
they searched for new and better definitions of fishing. They sponsored costly
nationwide and worldwide congresses to discuss fishing and to promote fishing
and hear about all the ways of fishing.
These fishermen built
large, beautiful buildings called "Fishing Headquarters." 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.
They organized a
board to send out fishermen to 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 colors lived. Also the board hired staffs and
appointed committees and held many meetings to define fishing, to defend
fishing, and to decide what new streams should be thought about. But the staff
and committee members did not fish.
Expensive training
centers were built to teach fishermen how to fish. Those who taught had
doctorates in fishlogy, but the teachers did not fish. They only taught
fishing. Year after year, graduates were sent to do full-time fishing, some to
distant waters filled with fish.
Further, the
fishermen built large printing houses to publish fishing guides. A speaker's
bureau was also provided to schedule special speakers on the subject of
fishing. Many who felt the call to be fishermen responded, and were sent to
fish. But like the fishermen back home, they never fished. Some also said they
wanted to be part of the fishing party, but they felt called to furnish fishing
equipment. Others felt their job was to relate to the fish in a good way so the
fish would know the difference between good and bad fishermen.
After one stirring
meeting on "The Necessity for Fishing," a young fellow left the
meeting and went fishing. The next day he reported he had caught two
outstanding fish. He was honored 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 the other
fishermen. He was also placed on the Fishermen's General Board as a person
having considerable experience.
Now it's true that
many of the fishermen sacrificed and put up with all kinds of difficulties.
Some lived near the water and bore the smell of dead fish every day. They
received the ridicule of some who made fun of their fishermen's clubs and the
fact that they claimed to be fishermen yet never fished.
They wondered about
those who felt it was of little use to attend the weekly meetings to talk about
fishing. After all, were they not following the Master who said, "Follow
me, and I will make you fishers of men?
Imagine how hurt some
were when one day a person suggested that those who didn't catch fish were
really not fishermen, no matter how much they claimed to be. Yet it did sound
correct.
Is a person a
fisherman if year after year he never catches a fish?
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