by Terry Morris

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” (Hebrews 12:1)

Many years ago, I took a week off my regular job to work on a longline fishing boat. We fished for swordfish in the Atlantic Ocean off the East Coast of Florida and each crewmember was paid a share of the catch. If you have seen the movie The Perfect Storm, you have seen a very accurate description of what it is like to work on this sort of vessel.

The name longline comes from the 12-mile spool of line that we set out like a giant trotline. From this line were suspended many smaller lines, each with baited hooks. We would spend the day moving to the spot, baiting hooks, and coiling lines. In the late afternoon we would set the line, the next morning we would reel it in and claim our catch.

There were many dangers associated with this type of fishing, and at the time I went they were losing about one fisherman a month. Some simply slipped off the deck while standing the night watch, pacing to keep awake while their companions slept. Others were killed in accidents. Being dragged underwater by a moving line was a very real possibility.

My friend David, whose father was the captain, warned me: “Don’t move your feet when we set the line. There will be all sorts of lines and loops moving around your feet and legs as we set the line. If you step into a loop, you will be pulled off the boat.”

The danger was real. As the 12-mile line was paid out, there were sets of knots every 100 feet. We clipped baited 20-foot leader lines between these knots, and a float every 10 sets. Everything that was clipped to the line was dragged overboard. The coils of line whipped around my feet as I stood firm for hours.

“When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.” (Proverbs 10:25)

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” (Psalm 40:2)

 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

 “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” (Ephesians 6:14-15)

© 2015 Terry Morris

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