Fish

I used to love fishing when I was younger. I used to go with my friend Robert and fish in the River Allen. We would spend hours down by the river, fishing. My mum was so concerned about us and our fishing she made me and my brother go on a fishing course - a course on course fishing! How about that! We would get up early and go. We would stay late into the evening. Perhaps my biggest catch was when I hooked Marc Collins right through the lip. No really I did. And he wasn’t even in the river. He was tying his hook onto the line, and, as well did, he bit the end of the line off after finishing the knot. I walked passed him and caught the line, which pulled the hook through his lip. Not my greatest moment. Or his. But we laughed about it later. Still do. Mum moved to live near the river and to get to town we’d walk along where we used to fish. I still have to look in the river and spot the fish every time I walks along the path. Still see the dace, the trout. Haven’t seen a pike for years. There are still lots of minnows. That’s what we caught. Fishing used to take up so much of my time. If I wasn’t actually fishing, I would be thinking about it, reading about it, planning the next day’s fishing. In the early days I made my own fishing rod. I was quite creative. But I can still remember the first proper fishing rod I owned. Bought it with my own money. It cost £2.29 which, in those days, was a fine sum. I loved it. Finally progressed onto owing a proper reel too. I used to think that fish were stupid. They were too easy to catch, the minnows at least. I used to joke that you couldn’t give a goldfish a name because it only had a two second memory so they’d never remember it. Turns out it’s not true. And, somewhat frighteningly, it also turns out that goldfish have a better concentration span than humans. I kid you not. Research concluded that goldfish have an attention span of 9 seconds. Not great is it? Until you realise that the same research concluded humans have an attention span of only 7 seconds! Apparently we spend too much time on various devices, flicking endlessly from one thing to another and have lost the ability to concentrate. And, I think fish have something else that might challenge us. Fish are completely surrounded by water. Yes, I know that’s obvious, but think about it. Fish can’t survive if you take them out of the water. I know, I did it many, many times when I used to fish. (For the record I always used to put them back in the river, just to set your mind at rest!) But how much do fish understand that? They are fully immersed in the water. It is everywhere. Always. they can’t exist without it. But they probably have no idea of that life giving truth. Here’s the thing: God is to us like water is to a fish. He really is. Jesus told us so and he lived in the light of that deep and profound truth. When he taught us to pray, he said start with this important truth: “Our Father in heaven” which is better translated, “Our Father in the heavens”. “In heaven” suggests God is distant (in heaven wherever that is). But “in the heavens” tell us he is right here with us. It tells us that he is a close as the air we breathe. Like water to a fish in fact. We are completely surrounded by God. We cannot exist without him. He gives us everything we need for life and living. He is everywhere. Whenever I see fish in the River Allen, I am reminded that I am completely surround by God’s great and magnificent love. Perhaps I should take up fishing again!