Blue crabs. The child was crabbing on one of the old marsh boat ramps, fish heads on the string thrown out into the water and slowly pulled in luring the crabs in to be scooped up by his brother with the scoop net. The boat ramp was slippery with slime and the child stepped out too far slipped and fell and was slowly sliding further into the water trying to hold onto slippery concrete, kicking and cutting his feet on all the oyster shells blooming up on the water’s edge. He holds until help comes and is pulled out, fished out of the waters.
A different time, a different place the child was learning to swim, treading water as long as he could until he couldn’t stay up any longer, “catch me daddy” as he goes under, strong hands pull him back up coughing and spluttering… enraged and delighted all at once.
War. It took over the water, above and below. This time he was luring in not blue crabs but German U-boats, they nicked one and it came to the surface, the crew evacuating and jumping into the ocean before their submarine sank for good. They were in the middle of the Atlantic, no land for days. No room, no supplies. They had orders. The German sailors were rescued from the waters not with a scoop net, but with bullets and a quick death.
The nightmare of that day pulled at him and cut him the rest of his days, he could feel the waters always slowly rising over his head, he could feel himself slipping again sinking deeper and deeper until one day he knew he would have no more breath.
A different time, a different place the evacuation of over 300,000 trapped English and French soldiers at Dunkirk, a fleet of boats of any size, anything that could float, fishing up live soldiers from the water, “Catch me Daddy” coughing and spluttering…enraged and delighted all at once. That had been a good day. Fishers of men indeed.
Like a slow tide one day death caught up with him, he couldn’t keep his head up out of the waters anymore, “catch me daddy” as he goes under, it is warm for some reason this surprises him, and he isn’t alone, he sees the soldiers sinking down with him, he struggles to reach them this time but then strong hands grab at him and pull up and then…and then…
“On the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and those who sat in the region of the shadow of death light has dawned.”
Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”
Strong hands are pulling us out of the waters of our folly.
A fleet of boats is being gathered.
The rescue has begun.
None are forgotten, none abandoned, none betrayed.
Grab a net. You are needed.