Good Fish, Bad Fish

20/07/11 | Posted by Sarah-L-B

New York, 2006 - my friends and I were having the time of our lives walking the streets of "The Big Apple". While attempting to locate a particular comic book store we turned a busy corner, at which point I felt a small leaflet being pressed into my hand. No prizes for guessing the message.

 Good fish, bad fish…is it really so simple?

Ah yes, another day, another informative leaflet about how I’m going to Hell. If I had a pound coin for every time it happened, I’d be able to quit my job and live on the moon. While this was not an especially unusual occurrence, the incident stayed with me because of something my friend said. Having failed to locate the desired comic book store on foot, we hailed one of New York’s trademark yellow cabs and sped away. During the ride I expressed my distaste for the leaflet, to which I took some degree of offence. My friend explained that he had been “reborn” not too long before, having been baptised again. He said he felt the change and believed that it was real. I was refreshed by his honest yet non-judgemental tale.

At this point, he likened God to a fisherman. He sorts us all out when we die. “Good fish, bad fish, good fish, bad fish…” at which point, we left the taxi and proceeded to shop for comics. Amidst the stacks of Marvel super heroes, Manga books and geek-tastic collectable figurines, I still couldn’t shake this simple yet thought-provoking metaphor from my mind. Even now, I think of it often.

Would I be a good catch?

Years later, in 2009, a co-worker and I found ourselves on the subject of religion. The guy I worked with was Pagan, and proud of it. Once again I was taken aback by simple words of wisdom - that whatever awaits us after we die, all they want to hear is that we are thankful for the life we had. Somehow, this nugget of thought makes sense too. If you gave someone a gift, you wouldn’t want to hear them complain, you would? You’d be offended if they complained of its quality, or wished to swap it for something else.

These two small incidences could almost go hand-in-hand. The good catch appreciates the fact that they were ever born. Whatever trials and troubles they endured, whatever happiness and sadness they experienced, they had a shot at life nonetheless. What you do with your “gift” once you receive it is up to you. Maybe the good catch simply appreciates the fact that they had the chance of a life at all.

I just had to share these two small moments in life. How do you feel about God the fisherman, sorting his good fish and bad fish? Does all he want to hear is that you appreciated the gift you have? Can it really be as simple as that?

A little food for thought. I think about these words often, maybe they will go on to inspire you too!

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