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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 to 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 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 far-away 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?
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