PARABLE OF THE FISHERMEN
—Original author unknown
Published on October 2006 on Global Missiology
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.
Month after month, year after year, these, who called themselves fishermen, met in meetings and talked about the abundance of fish and how they might go about fishing.
Continually they searched for new and better methods and definitions of fishing. They sponsored costly nationwide and worldwide congresses to discuss fishing and promote fishing and hear about all the ways of fishing, such as new fishing equipment, fish calls, controlling water temperatures and whether any new bait was discovered.
These fishermen built great, beautiful buildings called “Fishing Headquarters.” Their plea was—everyone should be a fisherman and every fisherman should fish. One thing they didn't do, however; they didn't fish.

They organized “Fishing Societies” to send out fishermen to other places where there were many fish. The societies were formed by those who had great vision and courage to speak about fishing, to define fishing, and to promote the idea of fishing in faraway streams and lakes where even fish of different colors lived. But the staff and committee members did not fish.
Large, elaborate and expensive training centers were built to teach fishermen how to fish. Those who taught had doctorates in fishology, but did not fish. They only taught fishing.
Some studied much and traveled to learn the history of fishing and to see faraway places where the founding fathers did great fishing in centuries past. They lauded the faithful fishermen who handed down the idea of fishing. Further, the fishermen built large printing houses to publish “The Official Fisherman’s Manual” and literature about fishing.
Many who felt the call to be fishermen responded. They were commissioned and sent to fish. And they went off to foreign lands...to teach fishing.
Some also said they wanted to be part of the fishing party, but they felt called to furnish fishing equipment and to actively support the fishermen. Others felt their job was to relate to the fish so the fish would know the difference between good and bad fishermen.
After one stirring meeting on “The Necessity of Fishing,” a young fellow left the meeting and went fishing. The next day he reported he had caught two outstanding fish. He sent back pictures of himself holding the catch and wrote letters describing the joys and tribulations of real live fishing.

He was honored for his	excellent catch and scheduled to visit all
the big meetings to tell how he	did it. So he quit fishing to tell about the
experience to other fishermen and	to show his fish pictures. He was also
placed on the Fishermen's	General Board. The fishermen rejoiced
that all their work had not been	done in vain.
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. They anguished over those who where not committed enough to attend the 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 don'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 or she never catches a fish?