Go. Fish.

Though I haven't been for some time, I love fishing. Whether on a boat, or standing on a shore, there's
something about being on the water, casting a line, and (hopefully) reeling in a catch. Of course, I'm one of those who fish for leisure. When Jesus called His disciples, however, he chose from among men who caught fish to survive.

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. (Matthew 4:18-20)

A couple things about fishing. First, when you're fishing the way Peter and Andrew were fishing, it's not a leisurely kind of thing. It's not a simple matter of dropping a line and waiting for your bobber to disappear. It's hard work, and it's work done with a sense of urgency. For Peter and Andrew, if you didn't catch fish, you didn't feed your family. 

So, Jesus wasn't inviting these men -- nor James and John, the fishermen He called next -- on a vacation. He was inviting them to work. But a work of more eternal importance than mere food. Jesus would later tell these men, and the rest of His disciples -- indeed, each of us who call ourselves by His name -- go into the world and make more disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). We were, like Peter, Andrew, James, and John, called to catch Men in Jesus' name. And this calling isn't to simply drop a line and see who bites, but to drop a net and actively pursue.

It's important, too, to understand that occupation was and is a part of identity. These men weren't just a couple of guys. These were fishermen. That's how they were known. Jesus was, in changing what they did, redefining who they were. This is just as true today. If we are Christians, the discipling of others isn't merely one of the things we do -- it's a part of who we are.

The second thing about fishing is that it requires movement. Whether for food or fun, if you actually intend to catch fish, the first rule is, go where the fish are. We can't catch men by sitting in a church pew and waiting. We need to see where the fish are gathering, and then cast our nets wide. 

Now we could stretch this metaphor until it breaks, discussing bait, methods... even the depths of the water. But what's important to Christ is that we go. And fish.