A PLEA FOR FISHING
                              by John Drescher

     Is a person a fisherman if year after year he never catches any fish? 
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. 

     Week after week, month after month, and year after year these men,
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. 
Year after year they carefully defined what fishing meant, defended
fishing as an occupation, and declared that fishing is always to be a
primary task of fishermen. 

BETTER METHODS

     Continually they searched for new and better methods of fishing and
for new and better definitions of fishing.  Further they said, "The
fishing industry exists by fishing as fire exists by burning."  They loved
slogans such as "Fishing is the task of every fisherman," "Every fisherman
is a fisher," and "A fisherman's outpost for every fisherman's club." 
They sponsored special meetings called "Fishermen's Campaigns" and "The
Month for Fishermen to Fish." They sponsored costly nationwide and
world-wide congresses to discuss fishing and to promote fishing and hear
about all the ways of fishing, such as the new fishing equipment, fish
calls, and whether any new bait was discovered. 

     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. 

     In addition to meeting regularly, they organized a Board to send out
fishermen to other places where there were many fish.  All the fishermen
seemed to agree that what was needed was a Board, which would challenge
fishermen to be faithful in fishing.  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 faraway 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. 

TRAINING CENTERS

     Large, elaborate, and expensive training centers were built whose
original and primary purpose was to teach fishermen how to fish.  Over the
years courses were offered on the needs of fish, the nature of fish, where
to find fish, the psychological reactions of fish, and how to approach and
feed fish.  Those who taught had doctorates in fishology.  But the
teachers did not fish.  They only taught fishing.  Year after year, after
tedious training, many were graduated and were given fishing licenses. 
They were sent to do full-time fishing, some to distant waters which were
filled with fish. 

     Some spent much study and travel to learn the history of fishing and
to see faraway places where the founding fathers did great fishing in
centuries past.  They lauded the faithful fishermen of years before who
handed down the idea of fishing. 

PRINTING HOUSES

    Further, the fishermen built large printing houses to publish fishing
guides.  Presses were kept busy day and night to produce materials solely
devoted to fishing methods, equipment, and programs to arrange and to
encourage meetings to talk about fishing.  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.  They were
commissioned and sent to fish.  But like the fishermen back home they
never fished.  Like the fishermen back home they engaged in all kinds of
other occupations.  They built power plants to pump water for fish and
tractors to plough new waterways.  They made all kinds of equipment to
travel here and there to look at fish hatcheries.  Some also said that
they wanted to be part of the fishing party, but they felt called to
furnishing 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.  Others felt that simply letting the fish know they were nice
land-loving neighbors, and how loving and kind they were, was enough. 

    After one stirring meeting on "The Necessity for Fishing," one young
fellow left the meeting and went fishing.  The next day he reported that
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 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. 

TALKING ABOUT FISHING

    Now it is 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?" (Mark 1:17)

    Imagine how hurt some were when one day a person suggested that those
who don'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?  Is one following if he isn't fishing? 

    THINK ABOUT IT!  Are you fishing?

[Author's note:  This article was meant to stir up repentance within the
Body of Christ and to have disciples reflect on what the Scriptures say
about witnessing.  Also, this article was to reflect on how the church
views the gifts of apostle and evangelist in particular and how they line
up with the Word.]