Fishing together

Thanks to the correspondence between Paul and the church at Corinth, we know more about this church than we do any of the other first-century churches, including the wide range of issues affecting this community of believers.  It is important to remember, also, that when we approach the Epistles, we are reading someone else’s mail that was Canonized for us.

The church at Corinth contained a wide socio-economic cross-section of people; while being composed of largely Gentile converts, there were some Jewish members of the congregation.  Some members were slaves, while others were educated, powerful, and even of noble birth.  And do you know what happens when you get a large group of very different people together?  Well, we do what people do:  we divide ourselves off into similar groups, fracturing the whole in our favor. 

We can see, and most of us know, that this was exactly what was happening in this church at Corinth.  Groups of similar, or likeminded people, have band together, for differing yet common purposes.  Word of this has reached Paul, and while not “clergy” to this church, being the person who established this church made him someone whom they would have respected and sought counsel from. 

In today’s text, we aren’t given any clues as to what they are divided over, and for today’s purpose, that isn’t what I want our focus to be on. 

Think for a moment, if you will, about the things that might bring a group of people together:  hobbies, vocation,  like-mindedness….  My grandma used to remind me that “birds of a feather flock together”, and while she may have meant it in a derogatory manor, it’s true on the positive side of conversation.  Dog people can bond over being dog people, cat people can bond over being cat people.  When I attended research meetings, you could see the groups that organically formed among the nurses, the doctors, and the scientists.  It makes sense, if you think about it.  Commonality fosters conversation and comradery.  We like to identify and be around people who understand us.  And that’s a good thing!

If we aren’t careful, though, the very things that bring us together can become the same things we use to isolate us and our groups from others, taking on an almost “us vs them” mentality.  When we look at the list of things that might bring groups of us together, there are as many, if not more, things that will divide us.  Sometimes they’re benign things like Apple or Windows PC, iPhone or Android, car or truck, automatic or straight shift, having a steak well done or rare, and even sports teams.  These are divisions that are surface, divisions we can light-heartedly discuss.  In case you’re wondering, I’m Apple, iPhone, Sport Utility, Straight Shift (although my knees would disagree), medium-rare at most, and Tennessee Vols.

But, we don’t stop at the surface level on our differences.  We allow other things, things we value at a higher premium, to draw lines between us:  race, gender, social and economic status, ideals, politics…this list is never ending.  So, why do we hold these things in higher regard than the surface things above?  Why would someone choose to disaffiliate with me over the way I vote but not the phone I prefer?  Why would a lifelong friendship dissolve over economic disparity, but not over the way I order my steak?  Why would someone refuse to even be in the same room with me because of my religious affiliation, but has never even asked if I prefer a dog to a cat?  I’m here to tell you what I think about that, and the answer is, I don’t know.  But the bigger question, is why do we allow this?

We are everyone different, with different likes, different ideals, and different values.  It was once said if everyone was the same the world would be a boring place.  We’ve all heard that; but do we appreciate that?  Do we embrace the differences, or do we villainize them? 

What Paul was trying to relay to the people in the church at Corinth was this:  we aren’t to follow the ideals of man (even Paul’s ideals), but we are all to be one in the Gospel message.  We have a task to accomplish – and it’s a daunting task; we are to be fishers of people.

I know there are several in here that fish.  Fishing is one of those things I never caught on to; perhaps I don’t have the patience.  My Granddaddy could fish with the best of them.  He loved it.  What I remember about my time with him fishing was equipment and effort.  First, he had to have the right “stuff” to fish with.  The right pole with the right reel and line, the right boat, and the appropriate lure for what he wanted to catch.  After he had equipped himself, then the effort part began.  Choosing the right spot, knowing how to cast, catch, and reel in.  Being fishers of people is no different.  We are tasked with equipping ourselves with the right tools, but we aren’t to stop there.  We are to go to the place where the fish are and we are to contribute great effort in actively trying to cast, catch, and reel in.  This goes for all of us, and the only way we will be successful is if we work together.

If we are so focused on what divides us, how can we catch anything?

I took a college sociology class years ago, and the instructor did an experiment with us.  She took the class and divided it in half, and half the class had white dots placed on their foreheads and the other half blue.  We had a project to complete as a class, and it was designed so that it took all of us to complete it.  You didn’t know what color dot you had, but instinctively, all of the blue dot people grouped together and all of the white dot people grouped together, and almost immediately the two groups began to clash.  The blue dots had created a plan to accomplish this project, and their idea was superior…unless you asked the white dot folks.  They, too, had constructed a plan which was superior.  Without prompting, the competitive nature rose to the top and then fueled feuding between the two groups.  While we did not complete the assigned project, we didn’t realize that we were the project. 

Christ calls us to remove the dots from our foreheads and see each other, differences, flaws and all, as people all working for the common task of transforming the world by making disciples of Christ. 

Today, I want you to do some reflection; are you open to embracing your neighbor in working together?  Are you focused solely on what Christ charged us with?  Are you equipped?  Are you giving the effort?  Finally, I want you to look in the well of your boat; what does your catch look like?  Is it full?  Is it empty? 

We have our work cut out for us, and it’s time to get moving.