A Fish Story
July 16, 2014
What is it about fishing that tends to produce unlikely stories? It’s so common an occurrence that “fish story” has become shorthand for “you’re making that up”, or at the very least, “you’re exaggerating”. I sometimes wonder if this feature of the English language makes it hard for us to take some the Bible’s fish stories seriously. A boat so full of fish it starts to sink? A fish that multiplies itself? Fish stories…all of them?
A bunch of the people Jesus hung out with were fishermen. So Jesus may have been familiar with watery tales of every kind. Maybe that’s why he chose an acted out fish story as his first parable about the “hard to believe – you’re making that up!” idea of grace.
So, on Wednesday evening those of us that aren’t literally fishing somewhere will gather at The Table to gut and clean a fish story. (Too graphic? Kinda sorry…) If you want to read ahead, it’s the weird tale found in Matthew 17:24-27. And no, it isn’t really a story about taxes…or about fish.
6:30 p.m., upstairs at Independent Jewellers (493 Notre Dame). Iced tea and slippery ideas await. See you there!
Peace,
Tim Plett