Life of the fishermen

The first stanza of the poem "Coromandel Fishers" by Sarojini Naidu goes:
"Rise, brothers, rise; the wakening skies pray to the morning light,
The wind lies asleep in the arms of the dawn like a child that has cried all night.
Come, let us gather our nets from the shore and set our catamarans free,
To capture the leaping wealth of the tide, for we are the kings of the sea!"

The life of the fishermen has inspired many a poet and writers. What quality of their life has been so inspiring? Is it their simple lifestyle or their hard work? Could it be their enduring spirit of courage and strength or the joy they display out of their catch? There may be many assumptions and more reasons than you could guess. However, one thing is clear – they earn happiness out of their profession. How important it is to be content with what we are doing and be content to what we are. In Philippians 4:11 Paul said, "I have learned in whatsoever state I am in therewith to be content". In his book, The Virtue in the Vice, Robin Meyers, a congregational minister, writes: "Contentment is not just an 'peaceful, easy feeling' or a way to rationalize laziness. It is a deep, easy-breathing wisdom that knows what can and can't be changed, and more important, knows when to do and when to wait. The contented person watches the world closely, but does not stare it down. She enjoys things, rather than trying to possess them or straighten them out."

No wonder why Jesus Christ chooses Peter, James, John and Andrew who are all fishermen to be his disciples. "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." The apostles left everything when Jesus called (Mark 1:18, 20). If Jesus has called upon a rich merchant will he leave everything unconditionally to follow him? Here lies the "spirit" of the fishermen which is so inspirational.