The
Wise Fisher
“A
true human is like a wise fisher who casts nets into the sea and
draws them up full of fish. If among the small fish the fisher finds
a large one, then all the small ones are thrown back into the sea,
and the large one is kept without regret.”
Gnostic
Gospel of Thomas (Logion #8)
I
had the pleasure some years ago of attending a couple of seminars
with Jungian Analyst, Wynette Barton, on the Gospel of Thomas. As
Gnostic Gospels go, it is one of the few that is almost complete, and
more accessible than most. This Logion #8, is rather like Jesus'
parables of the pearl of great price, and the lost sheep that are
recorded in the New Testament. We can understand its meaning on
several levels. One meaning might be that a wise person casts a net
into the unconscious and pulls it up full of stored information. We
then sort through and get rid of all the small stuff—old grudges,
minor slights, betrayals, disappointments—and now and then, we find
a major insight into understanding what makes us tick. That big find
is worth all the work of sorting through the small stuff.
Another
understanding might be, we can't do it all, so do what matters most.
Our precious time on earth can get eaten up by all sorts of minor
commitments and demands. We arrive at middle age and realize we've
lost the trail we set out upon because we tried to travel them all,
or we got distracted by other people's trails. It then becomes
essential to get back on track, to find what matters most to us, and
do that. It will mean that we have to let the others go, but we
should have no regrets. We can bless the paths we've taken, thank the
ones we've followed, and move on.
The
part of the Logion that intrigues me most is the meaning of “a true
human.” According to Thomas, a true human is one who probes the
deep; who casts his nets to find the big fish, and to let go of all
that is insignificant. A true human focuses on the big picture, and
is not distracted by the swarms of small annoyances. Sorting out what
is important, especially for the soul, from what is not important is
a clue to becoming a wise fisher.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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