“Haul the net in, Simon.”

“How can I do that? My hands are full with the lines of the net I just cast, Andrew. Haul it in yourself.”

“Must I do everything?”

“No. Just haul your own net in.”

Sigh. “Just give me one hand, Simon. This one’s heavy. First mine, then yours.”

Sigh. “All right then… Got my lines together. Here’s my hand. Give the call to pull.”

“Pull! Now pull again! OK, move your hand along; I’ve got it steady… PULL!”

“Well, you weren’t kidding. That’s a heavy net.”

“Thanks, Simon. Let’s do yours.”

“All right. Oh, look.”

“Look where?”

“Behind you, Andrew. There’s that Jesus coming back.”

“Did he leave?”

“I thought he did. He went down the Jordan, where that fellow John’s been preaching. I didn’t think that he’d be back.”

“He’s always been a funny one. Half a foot on earth and half in heaven.”

“Yeah. But here he comes.”

“It’ll be good to see him.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, here’s my hand. Let’s get your net hauled in, my brother.”

“Maybe Jesus will be impressed how good we are at catching fish.”

A dialogue based on Matthew 4:12-23, the Revised Common Lectionary Gospel reading for the Third Sunday after the Epiphany.

The image is The Calling of Saint Peter and Saint Andrew (Vocation de Saint Pierre et Saint André) by James Tissot – Online Collection of Brooklyn Museum; Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2007, 00.159.56_PS1.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10195832.