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.