What Ails Thee? Why Am I Not Catching Fish?

Often clients when they are not catching fish will ask me, “What am I doing wrong”? Sometimes there is nothing they are doing wrong and “fishing is fishing”. At other times there is some thing wrong and I have to help correct the technique that is less than what it should be. Sometimes the adjustment works, at other times it does not.  But, in general, I actually kind of like it when folks are willing to ask, “What’s wrong”?  

This scenario reminds of the story of the Fisher King. A young knight is on a quest. He comes to a land that is barren and the river does not flow. In the castle a wounded king awaits healing. According to the legend, healing will only take place when the knight shows up and asks the question, “What ails thee oh king?” He has to ask the question.

But the knight is not able to ask the question. He was taught that it was not polite to ask questions. His gut impulse is to ask, “What’s wrong”?  Or “What’s going on here”? Or,  “What ails thee oh king”? But he follows convention instead and remains silent.

Perhaps we need to ask this question ourselves but not just when we are not catching fish. Maybe we should ask this question, first of ourselves, each other, within our relationships and of our schools, government and our Christian churches. What ails thee?

Often we see and experience the barrenness all around.  We feel it within. We feel it from others. We feel it in our relationships. The river stops flowing or at best is a trickle.  But as Christians we often do not ask the important question. We mind our manners. We keep it inside. We don’t know how to ask.

In the story of the Fisher King it takes years for the knight to even ask the right question. Every time the knight fails to ask the right question, the king remained lame and the land a barren wasteland.  

As Christians we often do not ask questions and if we do, often they are not the ones that need to be asked. We miss the point. Or, we may only point out the barrenness and ailments in others and be dishonest of our own ailments.  Or, maybe we just don’t know how to ask the question respectfully. There is such a thing as etiquette.

Anyone have any ideas what the right questions might be?  Anyone want to talk about what ails the church? What ails you? What ails us?  I think we have to start by asking the question.

I don’t want to throw stones. I would rather dialogue. Let’s talk about it. And if I ever watched you fish and you asked me if you were doing anything wrong, I would hopefully, offer whatever advice I could give.

We would dialogue.