Presbyterian scholar Michael J. Kruger likes to fish. That is a good thing because in a recent online reflection he offers a very important insight:

“I have never met a pessimistic fisherman. Sure, there are people who go fishing who are pessimistic. But when it comes to fishermen—people who love to fish and are always eager to fish—they are always defined by an insatiable belief that the very next moment, the very next cast could be the one when they catch the big fish they have been waiting for. . . .  

Indeed, it is this unexplained optimism that gets fishermen up early in the morning, allows them to endure awful weather and biting mosquitoes, and keeps them out late at night. They continually think: ‘today could be the day.’ After all, why go fishing at all if you have no hope that you will catch something? Fishermen are people of possibility.”

It is easy to see the parallels to the “fishing of men” Jesus demands of his disciples. Optimism is essential. As Pope Francis recently noted in Evangelii guadium, “Nobody can go off to battle unless he is fully convinced of victory beforehand.”

Keep thoughts of abundant streams and big catches in mind as you spread the joy of the gospel.

Any of us familiar with the song "Chicago" and the lyrics: "Chicago, Chicago/That todddlin' town." Have no doubt thought, "Who the heck is Billy Sunday?" when we hear the lyric: "The town that Billy Sunday/Could not shut down."

Billy Sunday, it turns out, was a celebrated Chicago White Stockings player in the 1880s who eventually became the most influential evangelical preacher of the early 20th century. His conversion took place one afternoon in the the late 1880s when he and some fellow baseballers were stolling the streets of Chicago's Loop. Sunday was struck by the words and hymns being sung by a street preacher and eventually committed himself as a disciple of Christ and joined the Presbyterian Church.

Street preaching is an art form perfected by Jesus that continues to this day. How many of us have heard a street preacher calling us to repent? Usually we blithely ignore him or her as we continue about our business. But what if, like Billy Sunday and the fishers in Jesus' time, we took the call to heart? What would we repent? How would our focus change if we truly believed the kingdom of God was at hand?

News flash: The kingdom of God is at hand. So we all better take a good look at what just what we should be doing differently in response.

When I was 12 years old, my class went on an overnight retreat run by monks. Caught up in the emotion and religious fervor of the moment, we each prayed, “Please, Lord, help me to spread your word.”

At the time I didn’t know what I meant by the prayer or where it would lead me. Years later, I realized that my prayer brought me to my work as a Catholic publisher, helping others in their efforts to spread the word.

That is the beauty of Jesus’ call. Rather than assign specific jobs to each of us, Jesus accompanies us on our journey and shows us how our desired vocation can serve God’s reign. As one biblical commentator put it: “He invites carpenters to build his temple, physicians to heal immortal souls, merchants to invest in pearls of great price,” and fishers to become fishers of souls in service to God.  

As we grow in faith, our daily work doesn’t necessarily change but our intention and purpose do. Like spirit-filled eighth-graders and Jesus’ first disciples, we strive to spread God’s word in whatever we do.

The first vocation invitation or call that I received was from my father. It was my junior year in college and I had yet to declare a major. My parents and I were engaged in a tense conversation in our living room. Although my dad did not suggest I follow him into the dental profession, neither did he believe that I went to college to find a husband. He was clearly worried that I did not know what I wanted to do with my life and he counseled that I had to be able to support myself. I remember him saying, with some frustration, “So teach.” That was the call I needed at that time. So I taught history and theology for five years at a Catholic high school in Boston.

Though I loved my students, in time I noticed a persistent inner voice asking: Is there something else I am to do? After more time, I sent for a theology graduate school catalog. I looked at it, felt intimidated and shoved it in desk drawer. Several months later, while driving in the car and thinking about life, I announced aloud—I am going to graduate school. I received an assistantship that not only paid for graduate school but provided a stipend. And for the first time in my life, I loved studying and I knew I wanted to pursue ministry in some way. Though Jesus did not appear on a seashore, he called me in that moment in the car. And I’d venture to say he is calling every one of us in some way every day.

Presbyterian scholar Michael J. Kruger likes to fish. That is a good thing because in a recent online reflection he offers a very important insight: “I have never met a pessimistic fisherman. Sure, there are people who go fishing who are pessimistic. But when it comes to fishermen—people who love to fish and are always eager to fish—they are always defined by an insatiable belief that the very next moment, the very next cast could be the one when they catch the big fish they have been waiting for. . . .  

Indeed, it is this unexplained optimism that gets fishermen up early in the morning, allows them to endure awful weather and biting mosquitoes, and keeps them out late at night. They continually think: ‘Today could be the day.’ After all, why go fishing at all if you have no hope that you will catch something? Fishermen are people of possibility.”

It is easy to see the parallels to the “fishing of men” Jesus demands of his disciples. Optimism is essential. As Pope Francis noted in Evangelii guadium, “Nobody can go off to battle unless he is fully convinced of victory beforehand.”

Keep thoughts of abundant streams and big catches in mind as you spread the joy of the gospel.