These words were in Pope Benedict's last exhortation to the people before he stepped down as Pope. When you let down your nets, there is no chance that you will only get the good fish. This is a wonderful lesson for us all. It means that churches won't be perfect, families won't be perfect and relationships won't be perfect and the fisherman would be foolish to assume that only the good will come to the surface of the lake. People who plan to partake in the product need to be able to do their own separation!
So much wisdom in these words. The Pope was saying the church will never be perfect but somone needs to know how to deal with both the good fish and the bad fish and see that the bad does not contaminate or overtake the good. I am dealing with family matters and it is the same thing. How do I make the good understand that the weak must continue to stay in the net? Or do I? What if the bad want no part of the good in the net? Is this 'tough love' letting them walk? My problem is that I have lost my sense of kindness for some of the ones I consider "bad" and I no longer want to have anything to do with any of them. The additional problem is that I am losing my desire, along the way, to further dealing with those I consider to be "good" because it brings the whole subject to the forefront of my memory and worry! If I shut myself off from my heritage, I lose a big part of myself. So deal with all the fish, Jane, or get out of the fishing business.
So, when it is time, for me to pull up my next catch, what shall I do? Can I faithfully let the whole she-bang of fish perish in the sea because of one "bad" seed/fish? Please don't let me make the wrong choice!
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