Christmas Evangelism –It's A Fishless Fishology, how true?

 

We have arrived at that time of the year where Churches and Christian organizations gear up for frenzied Christmas activities to attract their community and beneficiaries. Church buildings are prepped up with festive mood and religiosity is at its peak. Christians ardently celebrate it as a festival calling it the ‘Bada Din’ – Big Day in Hindi. It’s those of us who are regular attendees of the Church, celebrate the season for our satisfaction. But are we making any difference in this season? Also, Christian organizations make big plans for evangelism and implement programs, again to what outcomes?

Evangelism drive has become a farce of big numbers of people hearing the Gospel and giving their lives to Christ, but as Christians we fail to cringe at the fact that we flaunt numbers to impress Churches, well-wishers and donors. Do we really evangelize? As individuals, have we lead at least one person to Christ? We need to honestly ask ourselves these questions. Sadly, as Christians we have ended up with the tag line – “99 stimulate the 99 to mobilize the 99 for resources to reach nation”. But it is so far from reality because statistics of our country regarding Christians don't lie.

Jesus points out what brings immense joy in Heaven, "I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance."  Luke 15:7 CSB. What does the verse reverberate? Crowd Evangelism and crowd mobilization are sweet music to our ears, but Heaven is still patiently waiting to rejoice over the one who honestly repents and finds Jesus. Evangelism is not only a lifestyle but the willingness to walk patiently with that one person for a period of time to ensure he / she repents and becomes not only a disciple but also a disciple maker. May God stir our hearts to make a meaningful contribution in the life of one person, multiplying into many, in order to bring Great joy to heaven.

Let us see a parable that summarizes this message beautifully:

A Parable of Fishless Fishermen

Now it came to pass that there was a group of people who called themselves fishermen and lo there were many fish in the waters around. In fact, the whole area was surrounded by streams and lakes filled with fish and the fish were hungry. Week after week, month after month, year after year, those who called themselves fishermen met in meetings to talk about their call to fish, the abundance of fish and how they might go about fishing.

Year after year they carefully defined what fishing meant, defended fishing as an occupation, and declared that fishing was always the primary task of the fishermen. Continually they searched for new and better methods of fishing and for new and better definitions of fishing. One thing they didn’t do however. They didn’t fish. Large, elaborate and expensive training centers were built, whose original and primary purpose was to teach fishermen how to fish. All through the years, courses were offered on the need to fish, the nature of fish, where to find fish, classifying fish, and the psychological reactions of fish.

Those who taught had doctorates of fishiology but the teachers didn’t fish. They only taught fishing. Year after year, after tedious training, many were graduated and were given fishing licenses.

After one meeting on the necessity for fishing, one young fellow left the meeting and went fishing. The next day he reported that he caught two outstanding fish. He was honored for his excellent catch and scheduled to visit all the main meetings possible to tell how he had caught the two big fish. So, he quit his fishing in order to have time to tell about his experiences to the other fishermen and also to make a movie on the big catch. He was also placed on the fishermen’s general board because of his considerable experience.

Now it’s true that many of “the fishermen” were truly sincere and really sacrificed and put up with all kinds of difficulties. After all, were they not following the master who said “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Imagine how hurt some of them were when one day a person stood up and suggested that those who didn’t catch fish were really not fishermen no matter how much they claimed to be. Yet it did sound correct.

Is a person a fisherman if year after year he never catches fish? Is one following, if one isn’t fishing?

(Author unknown)

If we or our Church are like this fishless Fishermen, we would be deemed useless and dead weight. Are we ready to allow God to speak to us and align ourselves to the honest call for evangelism?

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