This week, the Five Minute Friday prompt is RED. After an initial thought of Santa (ho ho ho), I couldn’t get the idea of blood out of my head….
Tom got the chance to go fishing with his dad a couple times in the Puget Sound off the Washington State coast. They fished for salmon and halibut on different occasions, based on availability.
Together they brought in a boat record halibut – 5’3″ long and 154 lbs!
Fishing is nasty business. At least to me. It’s smelly and the fish are slimy. But I didn’t realize until seeing photos of Tom’s trips that it was bloody.
Call me a naive city girl, but it just didn’t occur to me that fish would bleed as they were caught. The red of their lifeblood oozed out on the boat deck.
My Missional Community in Karis Church decided to work through the book of Mark in our small core groups known as fight clubs. Last night, we read in chapter 1 how Jesus saw Simon and Andrew tending the nets in their fishing boats, he called to them, “Follow me.” And they left their boat and nets and came after Jesus. A little further on, he saw two brothers, James and John, with their dad, Zebedee, and Jesus called to them, “Follow me.” James and John left the boat, with the blood stained deck, and the nets, and their dad, still knee deep in the stained nets, and followed Jesus.
We marveled at these men, who felt or sensed or somehow knew that Jesus was different. That he was worth abandoning the family business – abandoning Dad himself. With the stink of fish on their clothes and the red of the fish blood on their hands, in the space of a breath, they walked away, not looking back, because what they were gaining was infinitely greater than what they were giving up.
—–
Thanks for joining me here. There should be many interesting takes on the word, Red, if you want to see other posts on the prompt. What do you think of for the word, red?
Elizabeth
/ September 6, 2013Visiting from FMF. I never really thought about the blood of fish, either. There’s lots to unpack from your post as I think about the fishermen following Jesus, who would shed His blood for all. Thanks for posting!
claygirlsings
/ September 6, 2013Great connection to Christ. Thanks.
Joy
/ September 6, 2013A very unique take on today’s prompt! Really enjoyed it.
claygirlsings
/ September 6, 2013Thank you so much for stopping by.
Kristen
/ September 7, 2013Wow, thought-provoking and well-written! It took me there, so to speak. Thanks for sharing. =)
Becky Daye (@ohappydaye)
/ September 7, 2013My husband recently returned from a fishing trip. So thankful that Jesus calls us to be fishers of MEN! 🙂