Jesus and His Fishermen : The Untold Story

When Jesus said to his first disciples, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men,” he knew his “fishing” for souls would parallel the preparation, patience, success, failures, and frustrations of fishermen.

There has seldom been a more important time for Christians to reclaim Jesus and his message for theirselves, families, communities, and nation. Yet Christian values have never been as unknown, forgotten, or sidetracked as they are now.

Amid the social chaos now permeating America, Christianity is losing ground to other faiths on one hand and lack of faith on another. It’s as if the light of the Christian faith is being hidden under the proverbial basket.

Christianity must regain the commanding heights of public opinion in religious edifices, classrooms, and extracurricular settings from kindergarten through college; news broadcasts and entertainment venues; government, law schools, and courts of justice; and associations of volunteers. Proud acknowledgement of personal, family, and faith-based values should replace defensive cringe at their mere mention.

Christians must commit themselves to adding and multiplying, not subtracting and dividing. We can do that in working with other believers who value each person as a unique creation. Jesus and His Fishermen motivates us to achieve that goal. We see evidence for this among young adults.

Believing in the value of St. Augustine’s “The world is a book, and he who stays at home reads only one page,” Randal Teague has studied human behavior and its ties to faith in over one hundred countries.

Born in Durham and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and along Florida’s Gulf Coast, he first imagined a future in marine biology before finding another in law and charitable activities. That latter path drew him to our nation’s capital where he completed college and law school and fostered a lifelong commitment to individual liberty, democratic institutions, and international development.

Teague earned three degrees and received two in honors from universities in the United States and overseas. His children call him the “energizer bunny” for he seldom rests.