The bigger picture – Day 5

The mighty Congo River provides many opportunities to take magnificent photographs. The river is not a bright blue colour as you might have expected, but it is still spectacular and majestic. It flows rapidly, strong and broad, as you stand in awe of the big mass of water running past you.

At Maluka, we sat next to the river. I took photos. There was a young boy in front of me. His name is Roger Lola. He was trying to fish with a piece of gut tied to a long piece of bamboo. He used a wooden boat to stand in, so that he could cast his line a bit deeper.

The picture I captured was that of a boy who looks like he is fishing, without a care in the world. However, the bigger picture of the circumstances that this boy has to work and live in, were hidden from me. By the look of his clothing, it is evident that these circumstances cannot be easy.

When we look back in the history of Jesus calling his disciples, we realise that the pictures available are also limited. Still, something stands out. They were average people, called to use the skills they learnt in one trade, in another. They were to become fishermen of people. They were to “catch” people for Jesus and his kingdom.

This may sound romantic, but we know it is not that simple. To reach out to people, to evangelise to people is not that easy. This task asks for much love, patience and true friendship. It means you have to continue amidst setbacks and you should not lose hope. You have to keep reaching out repeatedly.

The challenge for us is to obey our calling to be witnesses. We have to be true to the way we go about each day and, in this way, try to “catch” people for the kingdom of God.