They Cast Their Nets In Galilee

Sea BreezesThe above picture is the scene I see every morning on my way to school as I drive over the Darien River bridge. We hear a lot of fishing talk where we live. Our little town is on the Atlantic coast and a lot of folks make their living from the sea. Fish of all kinds, shrimp, crabs and oysters are really cheap here compared to other parts of the country. Our seafood is fresh and tastes wonderful. Every weekday morning, I drive over the Darien bridge and am always awed to see our fleet of shrimping boats docked and ready to go out to the open sea for a days' catch. Shrimping is hard and dangerous work, the weather can change violently for the boats and they have to seek safe port. Some seasons are better than others. Fishermen spend long weeks out at sea away from their families. It can be a dirty, nasty, long hour job. Those friends of our who fish our sea love their jobs. They recount the hours on the open sea as free and peaceful, in a sense.

This morning at church we sang a hymn which makes me sad; yet makes me think. Our Lord called those fishermen away from their peaceful lives to change them completely and make them fishers of men. Many died as martyrs for Our Lord. They suffered for His Sake. I think all our suffering as Christians is for His sake. If, in the middle of our sufferings in this life, we can take the hand of One who suffered for us because He loves us so, then our suffering takes on a new meaning. Our suffering comes in so many forms, financial, loss of loved ones, illness, injury,loss of jobs, failures, anger at friends or family members.
And yet, we are still offered a peace that the world understands not, a peace that passes all human understanding. I will see those fishing boats pictured here as I drive over the bridge in the morning and think of those first simple fishermen called by Our Lord. Here is the hymn. I hope it makes you appreciate Christ's Peace. Are we willing to suffer for Him? He suffered for us, and died that we might live.

They cast their nets in Galilee just off the hills of brown
such happy, simple fisher folk, before the Lord came down.

Contented, peaceful fishermen before they ever knew
the peace of God that filled their hearts brimful, and broke them too

Young John who trimmed the flapping sail, homeless in Patmos died
Peter, who hauled the teeming net, head down was crucified.

The peace of God, it is no peace, but strife closed in the sod,
Yet let us pray for but one thing-the marvelous peace of God.