The Island-Fish

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  “O ye passengers, whom may God preserve! come up quickly in to the ship, hasten to embark, and leave your merchandise, and flee with your lives, and save yourselves from destruction; for this apparent island, upon which ye are, is not really an island, but it is a great fish that hath become stationary in the midst of the sea, and the sand hath accumulated upon it, so that it hath become like an island, and trees have grown upon it since times of old; and when ye lighted the fire upon it, the fish felt the heat, and put itself in motion, and now it will descend with you into the sea, and ye will all be drowned: then seek for yourselves escape before destruction, and leave the merchandise.—The passengers, therefore, hearing the words of the master of the ship, hastened to go up into the vessel, leaving the merchandise, and their other goods, and their copper cooking-pots, and their fire-pots; and some reached the ship, and others reached it not. The island had moved, and descended...

shakespearean poimena

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Shakespeare opens his play "Julius Caesar" with a most curious situation. The setting is the Feast of Lupercal (February 15) and the people have taken to the streets to celebrate in a holiday-fashion Caesar's victory over Pompey in a civil war. Marullus and Flavius, two tribunes (government officials) who supported Pompey, attempt to discourage celebrating workers.

Addressing the commoners, Flavius inquires of one concerning his profession, learning he is "a mender of bad soles." Shakespeare gives the audience a joke, which Flavius does not get, for the man is a cobbler, a shoe repairman; however, the joke comes to light when the cobbler clarifies his trade by telling Flavius, "I can mend you." The cobbler explains, "Truly, sir, all that I live by is with the awl: I meddle with no tradesman's matters, nor women's matters, but with awl. I am, indeed, sir, a surgeon to old shoes; when they are in great danger, I recover them. As proper men as ever trod upon neat's leather have gone upon my handiwork."

Shakespeares' joke is that, while the man may indeed be a cobbler (working with "all/awl"), he is not at all in agreement with who Flavius is and all he supports. This commoner tells the official he is able to fix him as a person, as a "mender of bad soles."

Think for a moment about that phrase ("mender of bad soles") and realize the depth of the pun when he says, "I can fix you"-- he is a mender of "bad souls" and he works "with awe" (another pun). He is as much a pastor (Greek, "poimena") as he is a cobbler!

Get it?

The question we could entertain at this point is, "are you a cobbler?" When it comes to evangelism, how is your dexterity for shoes in danger; that is, how are you at mending bad souls? What's business been like lately? Are people being changed who come into your shop?

"Rescue the perishing,
Duty demands it;
Strength for thy labor
the Lord will provide.

Back to the narrow way
Patiently win them;
Tell the poor wanderer
A Savior has died!

Rescue the perishing,
Care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful,
Jesus will save."

("Rescue the Perishing". Fanny Crosby (1820 - 1915))

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