Catch and Release
And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” — Matthew 4:19
In our encounters with God, we are formed by him, and we make disciples of him. Here, Jesus relates evangelism to fishing. In Jesus's time, fish were gathered in nets and held. Today, sport-fishing rewards catch and release. Jesus' commission to make disciples assumed his followers would gather people and hold them in Christian community. We moderns must strive for the same. We shouldn't be satisfied with catch-and-release methods.
Aha!
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. — Colossians 1:27
Running along and a flash of inspiration strikes. Reading along and a new way of understanding opens up. Where do these epiphanies come from? I don't need a rational explanation. I welcome them as a sign of Providence, a gift of grace. I save space for mystery in everything. Even the most ordinary things in life might come packaged in a shell of mystery. Come, Holy Spirit.
Building Beyond
Who trusts institutions? All of us have been formed (and deformed) by them. Institutions are not just inanimate structures that disappoint us. They are the collective efforts of people over time, often generations. Good ones stay rooted in the past and adapt for the future. A culture with strong institutions can do more creative work because its citizens don't sweat routine things. When disciples withdraw from institutions, we commission foolish and malevolent people to determine how we will live. A great way to love the world and our grandkids is to bend our institutions toward the ways of God's kingdom.
- holiness
- parable & metaphor
- identity
- eternal life
- doubt & deconstruction
- leadership
- grace
- justice
- scripture
- spiritual life
- advent & christmas
- poverty & compassion
- imagination & creativity
- technology & ai
- knowing God
- human dignity
- faith & trust
- incarnation & cross
- kingdom of God
- community
- reconciliation
- spiritual formation
- epistemology
- prayer
- gratitude
- culture
- creation & nature
- discipleship
- love
- Holy Spirit
- humility
- church
- politics & society
- mission & witness
The God of the Bible looks like Jesus, the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being. It would be just like him to go to the cross.