Easy ride

For they were fishermen (1:16) 

On a day off from work, a couple of friends went naked spear fishing off the coast of Dorset. The resultant catch was carried up the beach to a fire of hot coals, to be roasted and eaten, pulled off the bone where they sat. I have no idea why clothes were only optional, but I've noticed this is not unusual. On the Kibbutz where I worked during my year off, the strong young fishermen worked naked. Oddly, the pretty young female volunteers were always assigned to join them. Why fishing and nudity go together is a mystery, but it adds a rawness to the image of Jesus' call to Simon and Andrew. These were strong, independent, secure working men asked to wander, homeless and outcast. Jesus chose a tough crowd to be his inner circle, and he gave them a hard way to travel.

Too much of our religion today looks rather different. Robes abound, some glittering with gold. Voices are modulated and well-toned, sermons are carefully prepared and structured. Jobs are secure and pensions are solid. So I wonder what the rough-handed, sun-dried, shaggy-haired, yes quite possibly naked, Simon would have made of it all. I don't know, but I'm pretty certain he wouldn't have left his nets to join.



Comments

  1. Julie S18 October 2020 at 01:51

    I think he would have given us a good talking to - rather like the Galations😄

    ReplyDelete

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