Fishers of Men is a key idea that has struck me from childhood. In some ways this seems like a strange idea. How would these fishermen transfer their skill set to become evangelists?
Coach McCarthy helps us understand. I actively participated in several Promise Keeper events during the ‘90s. The Coach was an integral part of many of them. He put the skills he used to turn football players into champions to champion thousands of men to be winners for Christ. When listening to him talk at a stadium event with thousands of men listening to every word I felt like I was in a locker room at halftime.
Dorothy Day likewise used her journalism skills to share the Gospel. Mother Theresa turned her gifts of compassion and administration to care for the poor and dying.
Lee Buck was a superior Sale a for Met Life Insurance. He was an even better salesman for the Gospel. He was famous for his New York subway ride Bible Study. I was part of a clergy group he trained at Episcopal Renewal Ministries. He thought a great method for sharing a testimony. He trained us to have three versions of different lengths: The Whole Story, Readers Digest, and In a Nutshell.
Family lore tells that when I was 3 our parents sent us to VBS. On the closing night program my class sang the song I will make you fishers of men, complete with hand motions. Throughout my life I liked scouting, sports, and games. In college I studied Recreation Education. In a class on the philosophy of leisure Inread that the pursuit of religion was the highest form of recreation. Hence a sense of play, adventure and fun have been a part of my ministry.
Some might call my friend David obsessive compulsive. However, those are skills that are well used in our Kairos prison ministry that keeps all our supplies in order, and easy to find.
Also there is a Christian ministry called Fishers of Men that holds a fishing contest here on the Red River. It gives them opportunities to fish for both men and fish.
