“You have learnt how it was said : ‘You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy, But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on

honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do

they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

                                         Jesus of Nazareth, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew 5:43-48

                                               The Jerusalem Bible

As some of you who know me better might surmise, my thoughts at this time of the year can fairly easily drift off towards planning a fishing trip for the coming summer. In planning a GOOD fishing trip, there are a number of serious decisions to be made. For example - to which lake should we go; or, at which resort should we stay; how long should we stay there? Also, what time of summer should we go on the trip; and most important of all, who should be asked along on the trip? A fishing trip is in the realm of a "sacred" event, and any companions on the trip are essential ‘ingredients’ in whether or not the fishing trip turns out to be a genuine vacation and joy, or a long week of tension and misery.

Inevitably, as the plans are being considered, someone will suggest a name, and say... "So and so's a nice guy"…. as though that's enough. Usually, the person who makes that suggestion means that the person he is suggesting is nice to HIM; or, that the person in question has no distinct and prominent bad habits... .such as spitting on the floor, drooling, or saying truly gross things at the dinner table. The phrase ''nice guy" can, however, cover a multitude of sins. Over the years, I have known thieves, cheats, spouse abusers, tax-evaders, prison inmates, and perjurers who were all described at one time or another, by someone or other (usually a companion in crime or a relative), as being a “nice guy." Simply being known as a "nice guy" is really not much of a character recommendation, especially when it comes to spending a week with that person in the close confines of a fishing camp. 

Now, when it comes to choosing a fishing companion, I personally want to be with someone who is much more than a "nice guy." First, I want my partner to be totally and dependably honest. No cheating on the number of fish we take; no lying to the customs officers; no filching a fork from the restaurant; no trying to cheat the resort owner; no fudging on the weight or measurements of the fish we keep. I want my fishing partner to be a good sport and a gentleman...to clean the fish house when they're done; to treat the fish with respect and care; not to cut in on someone else's trolling pattern; no obnoxious talk. I want my fishing companions to pull their share of the load; to do their fair share of the cooking and cleaning; to pay their fair share of the trip (without whining and arguing); to carry their fair share of the gear from the plane to the cabin. On a fishing trip, you really want your fishing buddies to be much MORE than "nice guys". You want real depth of character that is open and frank, sincere, constant, faithful!! 

The words of Jesus as quoted above strike some terror into every honest heart as we consider the heights towards which this teaching drives us, as contrasted to the weaknesses and frailty of our characters. Still, Jesus does not mock us and we must not shrink from this instruction and its demands. I believe that this kind of love is exactly what God expects of His sons and daughters. So what can this mean for us as we live out each day?

I do not think that Jesus expects us to be absolutely flawless. He knew his followers and human frailty better than that. Rather, I would guess that what the Lord wants and expects from us is genuinely honest, righteous, and holy behavior that flows from a heart turned to Him in love, and not from a fear of punishment or from a desire to earn our way into heaven. I believe He expects us to strive daily to be truly compassionate and totally just in every circumstance. I believe He expects us to be really loving, truly righteous, and genuinely holy in thought, word, and deed. None of us on this side of the veil are perfect as yet, so I suspect that the Lord (like a fishing partner) will be lovingly tolerant of a little early morning surliness and poor manners here and there IF, for the most part, we are truly working hard at developing and practicing depth of Christian character. The important thing is to be daily “growing in grace” and “in our knowledge and love of the Lord.”

Then, knowing that we all too often wander a bit, stumble frequently, and often give things a bit less than our best efforts, I believe God gives us the Holy Spirit, loving Christian companions, Holy Scripture, and the fellowship of His Church to keep us focused on the goal and to empower us to keep trying to reach it.

On a fishing trip, and in all other areas of our lives, being "nice" (whatever that really means) is alright... ……it just isn't enough…..…….not when one is choosing a fishing partner, and not as we do our best to live a Christ-like life. Our goal is to love as Jesus loves. St. Paul says in his letter to the churches in Galatia that we Christians must strive to be kind, loving, patient, joyful, trustworthy, gentle, and to practice self-control. (Read Galatians 5:22ff). Someone like that not only mirrors the kingdom of heaven to those around them, they make a GREAT fishing partner!! Jesus really raised the ante when he said…”Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect”!  And that, dear friends, is another “lesson from the boat.”

            Gracious heavenly Father, teach us to be good ‘fishing partners.’ Help us to be honest to the core, kind, always willing and eager to do our share and more, gentle, and respectful. Help us by your Holy Spirit to restrain our anger, to be temperate and loving in word, look, and gesture. Teach us patience and help us to be understanding of human frailty, but at the same time, keep us focused on striving toward the goal of perfection that you have commanded. We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus, who called us to follow him and to be perfect, just as you are perfect.                  Amen