A PARABLE
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 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 other places
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 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.
Expensive training centers were built to teach fishermen how to
fish. Those who taught had doctorates in fishology, 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?