Have you ever heard the phrase, “Bigger fish to fry”? Basically, it is an attempt to get your efforts focused on something more important than you are currently. And it seems that many Christians feel they have big fish to fry. From protesting abortion clinics to signing email petitions to get prayer back in school, to railing against the homosexual agenda, to making scenes at local school board meetings decrying evolution and teaching it in our schools, it seems that Christians have many fish to fry. One might say too many. And at what cost? We have replaced people with protesting and loving with legislature. Sure, some might say that if we can make things illegal that will somehow enforce a standard of morality. But, to extend the metaphor, there are too many fish to fry, and the longer they go uncooked, the worse it smells. So stop catching and frying up fish.
Let’s focus not on issues, but on people. Jesus never wanted us to catch fish, but be fishers of men and women. When we turn our attention to policy instead of people, our witness suffers, and the church suffers. The message portrayed is that Jesus cares more about issues than being involved in our lives as King and Savior. That is not the gospel message.
I am calling for us to return to a concept that is not new and is not original, but seems to be ignored regularly so that we can fry up our fish. Let us be known and remembered for the things we support, not the things we are against. May the name "Christian" evoke images of love, care, and compassion instead of protest, alienation, and hypocrisy. Let’s be fishers of men and women – not fish fryers.
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5 comments:
Love is all that really counts! We get so caught up in the "negatives" that we lose sight of the love, care and compassion side of life. I wonder how others view us as Christians-do they see the negatives or the positives. We change more with love than with anything else.
Sam, what do you think about this?
I had a customer in the store the other day who tried to sell me on Quixstar (the internet Amway business). The conversation eventually turned around to him being a minister around here and a graduate of our alma mater.
I was uncomfortable with him being a minister and trying to sell me on a business deal. But then I thought if I think that he should not do it, then no Christian should do it because I do not believe in a clergy/laity distinction.
Anyway, I have no conclusions. I know it is not directly related to your post, but was he frying one too many fish?
I find that many church people, especially ministers, get caught up in such money making enterprises. The reason they think the can be successful is that they have an immediate contact list of 100+. They know that people will at least give them a listen because to do otherwise would be "un-Christian".
Is it frying too many fish? I don't know either, but this sort of manipulation is appalling and does not help the witness of the church to the rest of the world.
I liked everything about this post except the use of the word "decrying" twice in one sentence.
Due to Tom's editorial notes, the post has been amended.
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