GO FISHING!
Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19
Sue Bohlin writes: “I was cleaning the grungy bathtub of a family that wouldn’t notice and would never acknowledge or thank me even if they did. I was getting madder by the minute, throwing myself a pity party, when the Lord broke into my thoughts. He quietly said: ‘I see you. I appreciate what you’re doing.’ Whoa! That totally changed everything. Suddenly, I was able to do a menial job—and later, more important ones—as a labor of love… it forever changed my view of work.”
What Sue experienced while cleaning a bathtub, Jesus’ disciples experienced on the Sea of Tiberias! They encountered God in their workplace (so did Moses, Gideon, Paul…).
The gospels portray the disciples as very human: they are bewildered; seldom understand Jesus’ ways; often do their own thing. That continues after the resurrection.
Jesus has appeared to them twice. But he’s not with them constantly and he hasn’t told them what to do. They don’t know what lies ahead. So, they do what they’ve done and know how to do: they go fishing!
They know Jesus is not far from them and will come to them. And he does! They encounter him in their workplace. With his guidance, they catch a large haul of fish. This encounter in the workplace renews them and they can go back to being fishers of men and missionaries of the gospel (as the first reading attests).
Sometimes we believe or act as if life is divided into two disconnected parts. God is in one spiritual dimension and work is in another dimension. This view of work is unacceptable for Christians: all of life relates to God and is sacred, whether we’re making a business presentation or changing diapers or teaching someone the faith. Further, God calls us to make him the centre of our lives and wants us to invite him into our work; he wants to be Lord of our work. And as Sue Bohlin experienced, God sees everything we do, and he appreciates it and will reward us, regardless of the type of work we do.
Often, we find ourselves in the disciples’ position. We aren’t sure what to do. Jesus seems to come and go from our lives, or we from his. It’s then we have to keep doing what we do. We work faithfully and wait patiently… for an encounter with the Lord… who asks us what we have caught, or who sees and appreciates what we are doing!
When I am at the crossroads of life, let me “go fishing”! May I encounter God in my work and may this encounter strengthen me for his mission for me.
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