Fishing on the Right Side
of the Boat
The Rev. Erik J. Buss
Lessons: John 21; Apocalypse Explained 513:16;
Arcana Coelestia 1838
H
ow often have you felt totally alone, perhaps even while around other
people? When someone who cares for you has hurt you, being around
that person can be more lonely than being by yourself. Or being in a crowd,
watching other people interacting, can be lonely.
At times, our lives are so busy that we crave a bit of alone time; but even
then we wouldn’t want to be alone too long. The point of life is being around
people, interacting, making a difference, caring for them and feeling cared for.
One of the most profound experiences of loneliness comes when we feel
that no one is looking out for us. It’s as if we are on our own with no help.
We have the sense that there’s supposed to be someone looking out for us,
someone should be caring for us, but there isn’t. And when the Lord seems
distant it gets even worse. It’s as if He’s in the boat sleeping while the storms of
life rage around us.
Just after the Lord had been crucified was a time like that for His disciples.
They had thrown their lot in with the Lord. They had given up everything
for Him and had found meaning and companionship in His cause. Our story
today talks about a mundane-seeming event that is actually profound – a
reconnection with their God and through that with a purpose in life.
After the Lord died, Peter decided to go back to what he knew: fishing.
The Lord had appeared twice since His resurrection to let him know that He
still lived, but now Peter had to figure out what to do with his life. The Lord
wasn’t dead, but for a time the dream He had given was.
The story is really about Peter, and the ways he was touched, changed and
given purpose. It is relevant to us because we can be like Peter. In the deeper,
symbolic meaning of the story, Peter, meaning “rock,” is a symbol for our
faith, our understanding of what is true and good. He was the one who said
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