(adapted from monologues written in 1992 as sermon illustrations)
Simon Peter
He pauses in the hot sun as he kneels on the shore by his net and squints up at you. You are surprised by his size when he stands up. As he speaks, his eyes roam over the scene: the boats, the lake, the village. He seems to be looking for something.
“Everyone calls me ‘The Big Fisherman.’ I guess I am. Big, that is, and a fisherman. It’s not exactly my choice. My family have always been fishermen. Our boats and nets have been used for generations; will be for generations to come. And I guess it’s good and honorable and comforting to have a tradition, to know just exactly what each day, each week, each month will bring.
“On the other hand, it’s boring. I leave this village only to go as far as Jerusalem for the holy days. A nice change, but then it’s back to the routine. Sometimes I wish I could go places, see things, meet people, be – oh, I don’t know – someone.
“Ah, well. At least I provide for my family. And if I wish my life were more exciting, well, who doesn’t? As my father used to say, ‘God made me a fisherman. If He wants me to change, He’ll tell me.’ And I guess that’s true. So until He tells me, it’s back to the fish. But sometimes I wonder, would God let me stay in a dead-end village with a dead-end job for no reason? Am I being punished? Is this all there ever will be? Does God have a purpose for me? Does God even know that I am here?”
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For the next part of the story, read John 4:18-22 in your own Bible or at Bible Gateway: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4%3A+18-22&version=TLB