Caught in God's Grace

 William Sloane Coffin, an American clergyman, leader in the Civil Rights movement, leader in the peace movements of the 1960sand 70s; once president of the US’s largest social justice group – gave this blessing:

May God give you grace never to sell yourself short; Grace to risk something big for something good; And grace to remember that the world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love.

This is the Gospel for today. The blessing explains what the story of Jesus calling the fishermen to leave their nets is all about.

How often have we heard this preached with a direction to 'fish for people' in a sense of catching people to follow Jesus, to get their bums in a church pew, to grow Christianity one baptism at a time? The image is reeling people in… catching people.

But what if this 'fishing for people' is a different kind of expedition?

What if the emphasis is on the fishing not the catching? Notice the text says nothing about catching. As Jesus walked by the Sea he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea.  Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’

 

Simon, Andrew, James, and John fish in the Sea of Galilee.  They fish by casting nets. What if Jesus is talking about just casting nets, where the net is grace? This is Coffin’s blessing in action:

 God give you grace never to sell yourself short – Jesus specifically called these fishermen. He stopped, looked at them, drew them to his cause, and called them for important work.

Grace to risk something big for something good – and risk they did. To leave their nets would be to endanger the social order, their families fishing operation, and anger the rulers of the day. The Roman rulers set quotas, collected taxes, took so much of the catch for themselves, so to turn ones’ backs on the economical system threatened their livelihood and that of their families; slavery, imprisonment, even death were real possibilities. Following Jesus ---as we will be reminded many times in coming weeks- was following a leader who was about overthrowing the unjust systems of his day, righting inequality, redistributing wealth, showing mercy; in other words, revolution and bringing the kindom of God.

And grace to remember that the world is too dangerous for anything but truth – first-hand the fishermen are reminded of this. John the Baptist has been thrown into prison; a preacher who has been giving hope, empowering the broken, and pointing fingers at those in power. A man who believed that repentance, that turning around, that loving God and loving neighbour could change the world.  This belief threatened those in power, for the world would change if were to live remembering, that the world is too small for anything but love.

 

In their world, in our world there are nets and traps all over the place. Jesus taught the fishermen to cast their nets into the world – on top of, around, beside, the nets miring people in stagnant pools, polluted waters, chaotic whirlpools, rogue waves. The fishermen learn to cast a different kind of net – to cast grace – God’s grace. We have heard Jesus’ parables: the sower went to sow seed, extravagantly casting seed everywhere. This idea of casting nets and seeds indiscriminately is repeated often by Jesus. When cast, a net gathers everything in its reach. The fishermen cast mercy, cast grace, and whether a person wants it or not they are caught by grace. Changing them in some way.

Simon Sinek in his book, Start With Your Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action,  tells the story of Samuel Pierpont Langely and the Wright brothers, both working at the same time, but in different locations, to create the first heavier-than-air flying machine; an airplane.  Langley had prestigious, an academic community. He was well-connected to powerful people in business and government. He was well-funded and had the greatest minds on his team.

The Wright brothers had no funding just money from their bicycle shop. There were no government grants, no high-level connections, and their team had no college degrees among them. On paper Langley was set up for success, yet it was the Wright brothers who were first to fly.

 Why? Well, as Sinek writes – the Wright brothers “had a dream. They knew WHY its was important to build this thing. They believed that if they could figure out this flying machine, it could change the world. They imagined the benefits to everyone else if they were successful.”

On the other hand, Langely’s dream was a self-serving goal: being the first to create a flying machine was about personal achievement, acquiring prestige, fame, and fortune.

It was belief in something bigger than the individual. It was belief that together -for the common good- their work could change the world.

 

Jesus had a dream. He knew WHY it was important to build God’s kindom. He believed that if the disciples could figure out this kindom living, it could change the world. He imagined the benefits to everyone else if they were successful.

The disciples had a dream. They knew WHY it was important to carry on Jesus’ way. They believed that if they could figure out ‘fishing for people,’ it could change the world. They imagined the benefits to everyone else if they were successful.

What I believe – I have a dream. I know WHY it is important to build God’s kindom, to carry on Jesus’ way. I believe that God’s grace changes everything and that this grace can change the world. I imagine the benefits to everyone else when we are successful.

People with a belief in a higher sense of purpose will leave their nets to tackle seemingly unprecedented and difficult tasks, finding opportunities, while successfully navigating the struggles of their day.

 

God’s grace changes everything. Follow me, fish for people, and the disciples did. Casting nets -not with the intention of making more followers- casting nets of grace that embraced people: with words of hope, vision for the future, actions of mercy, rallying for justice, revolution upturning the world’s ways, encouragement to kindom build, offers of forgiveness, magnificent healings. Casting grace was God’s work through them. 

2000 years later we have been caught in God’s grace – thanks to the work of fisherfolk who continued to cast nets in the footsteps of Jesus. I believe that God’s grace has changed us and that this grace can change the world. Today we are called to continue to fish for people – cast God’s net- cast grace indiscriminately, not with the intent to make more Christians, but with the purpose to heal and to change the world. In this is Jesus’ revolutionary teaching brought to life. In this is the kindom of God.

 

May God give this congregation the grace never to sell ourselves short; Grace to risk something big for something good; And grace to remember that the world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love.  AMEN.