Fishing: Acts of faith or worship?
I ran across this quote by Chief Dan George:
"The beauty of the trees, the softness of the air, the fragrance of the grass, they speak to me. The summit of the mountain, the thunder of the sky, the rhythm of the sea, speaks to me. The faintness of the stars, the freshness of the morning, the dewdrop on the flower, speaks to me. The strength of the firs, the taste of the salmon, the trail of the sun, and the life that never goes away, they speak to me. And my heart soars."
That quote spurred me into thinking about what it's like to float along a quiet creek and fish from a kayak. Sometimes, the beauty of nature speaks so loudly to me that I can't pay attention to anything else. Last week, I floated within 20 feet of a great blue heron. In our own way, we greeted each other then continued with our own pursuits.
So, I ask myself this question: Is fishing an act of faith? Or it is worship?
The quickest answer is that fishing is an act of faith. One chooses where to fish, what fly to use, how to present the fly, etc. based upon the hope that if all the right decisions have been made, there will be a connection with a fish. That "hope" could be called "faith." The writer of the Book of Hebrews said: "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
While I seriously doubt that was meant to apply to fly fishing, it certainly describes the act of fly fishing.
"The beauty of the trees, the softness of the air, the fragrance of the grass, they speak to me. The summit of the mountain, the thunder of the sky, the rhythm of the sea, speaks to me. The faintness of the stars, the freshness of the morning, the dewdrop on the flower, speaks to me. The strength of the firs, the taste of the salmon, the trail of the sun, and the life that never goes away, they speak to me. And my heart soars."
That quote spurred me into thinking about what it's like to float along a quiet creek and fish from a kayak. Sometimes, the beauty of nature speaks so loudly to me that I can't pay attention to anything else. Last week, I floated within 20 feet of a great blue heron. In our own way, we greeted each other then continued with our own pursuits.
So, I ask myself this question: Is fishing an act of faith? Or it is worship?
The quickest answer is that fishing is an act of faith. One chooses where to fish, what fly to use, how to present the fly, etc. based upon the hope that if all the right decisions have been made, there will be a connection with a fish. That "hope" could be called "faith." The writer of the Book of Hebrews said: "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
While I seriously doubt that was meant to apply to fly fishing, it certainly describes the act of fly fishing.
So, the answer is "Yes"; fly fishing is an act of faith.
I would also argue - strongly argue - that fly fishing is also an act of worship. Trout and smallmouth bass - my primary targets - do not exist in ugly places! It is hard to pursue either species and not be aware of the beauty of God's creation. God speaks through the order and design found in creeks and streams. God also speaks through the awesome beauty found there
Who knows, maybe God even speaks through a great blue heron from time to time.
May God bless us with eyes to see and ears to hear.
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