When I was a boy, all that was needed to go fishing was a bamboo pole, a line, a hook, and some worms. This equipment was inexpensive and easy to obtain in the local hardware store and in the back yard. I can still remember threading a wiggly earthworm on a hook and fishing from the bank of the old fishing hole. I had no reel, so when a fish bit, I simply yanked on the pole. In those days you didn't need a license. It's quite different nowadays; fishing is expensive and difficult. It takes expensive fiber glass rods, fancy reels, special high tension lines, colorful lures, and of course a fishing license. There is special equipment for different kinds of fishing such as fly casting, trolling, deep sea fishing, and netting. Some fishing boats are equipped with radar detectors to locate schools of fish. People pay big money to go on fishing expeditions. There are special fishing tournaments in which people compete for the first, or the largest or the most fish caught. One of these is the "Billfish" tournament held every year off the coast of Kailua Kona, Hawaii. The competition is for the biggest marlin caught during that week. So today, fishing is big business and is a far cry from a simple day at the old fishing hole with a hook, line, and sinker.
One of the industries that has developed around fishing is that of lure making. Real worms are not good enough, and man is continually trying to improve on the natural things with artificial worms and bugs of all kinds to try to entice fish with something that looks good to eat. Some connoisseur fly fishermen construct their own flies, but this is time consuming and requires special equipment and skill. To supply the demand for more effective lures, one company, the Rapala VMC Corp in Finland, has become the world's largest tackle manufacturer. They are continually looking for new ways to hook fish. Their minnow lures swim in the water like real fish. Their focus is on two questions, does it work, and does it look good?
We are told that, as followers of Christ, we are to be fishers of men. In order to be successful we need to understand the psychology of people, just like the fishermen need to understand fish. We need to study what works and what doesn't. We are told that we should continually study new ways to reach people where they are. Just as the fisherman has to battle water and weather, so we must be willing to battle the conditions of the world where our human fish live. What kind of lures are we using? Do they work and do they look good? People are smart, and just like fish they can spot a phony and turn away. Are we offering the real thing or a reasonable facsimile? Do we hold out the bread of life and the meat of the gospel, or are we using gimmicks and pretty baubles. When we cast our evangelistic lines into the world pool, are we fooling or fishing?
