Follow Me

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan. Matthew 4:18-25

Fishing is and has been, throughout history, an essential life sustaining work, not a recreational sport. Those who lived by water were sustained by fish and used all of their by-products. We forget how communal fishing was. It was and is team work, grueling and arduous. The days were long and the conditions rough, with unpredictable storms and other dangers. And yet, they fished to give life to their communities. So, when Jesus calls them away, they followed him, offering the same collegial attitude and offering hard work. We who would follow Jesus are invited to be willing as the first disciples were, to offer our work, our time and our labor for the care for our world.

Magnificent Creator, you trouble the waters

you stirred the fisher folk to follow you

they gave up all that they knew to follow you

and we are truly blessed by your daily presence.

We are often afraid to follow you in our time

we think we are not strong enough, nor able

we believe that you have stepped away from us

yet you are leading us onward inviting all to follow.

Lord, help us to let go our nets and follow you

make us strong enough to take to the road

make us humble enough to follow on the way

and breath your new life so we might live to love others. Amen.