Fishing for people
Children's Activity
Object:
Today's gospel lesson is a fun one to share with children. It's brilliant the way Jesus speaks to Andrew and Peter. He takes a paradigm that is very familiar to the fishermen, turns it around and applies it to people. They're intrigued. Fishing for people? How does that work? What does it even mean? Like Peter and Andrew, children also find this concept interesting. Fishing for people isn't as abstract as some of the other lessons in the Bible. Children understand fishing. They know how and why people fish. It isn't all that hard for them to see how the same ideas could be applied to our relationships with others.
For a fun outing this week, take your children to an aquarium or to see the fish tanks at a pet store. Watch the fish swim about. How are they the same? How are they different? What kinds of things do they like? What do they seem to avoid? Are there different types and sizes of fish? Do they move in groups or alone? How would you catch them if you tried?
On the way home, talk about today's lesson and what Jesus is saying. Did you learn anything about the fish that helps how you see people? Like the fish, people are both alike and different. They like some things and avoid others. They are all different types and sizes. Some move in groups and some move alone. Given all these things, how would you try to "catch" people if you tried?
Jesus wanted his disciples to bring people to him. He wanted to be with as many people as he could, because he had a lot to teach them. He wanted to go into the world and spread as much love and kindness as he could, and he needed the disciples' help to do that. He still needs help doing that today. That's why we can follow their example and learn to fish for people too.
For a fun outing this week, take your children to an aquarium or to see the fish tanks at a pet store. Watch the fish swim about. How are they the same? How are they different? What kinds of things do they like? What do they seem to avoid? Are there different types and sizes of fish? Do they move in groups or alone? How would you catch them if you tried?
On the way home, talk about today's lesson and what Jesus is saying. Did you learn anything about the fish that helps how you see people? Like the fish, people are both alike and different. They like some things and avoid others. They are all different types and sizes. Some move in groups and some move alone. Given all these things, how would you try to "catch" people if you tried?
Jesus wanted his disciples to bring people to him. He wanted to be with as many people as he could, because he had a lot to teach them. He wanted to go into the world and spread as much love and kindness as he could, and he needed the disciples' help to do that. He still needs help doing that today. That's why we can follow their example and learn to fish for people too.
