READINGS:
Isaiah 6:1–end
Luke 5:1–11
 

Stepping Out of Our Comfort Zone

I wonder if you know anyone who has walked the Camino de Santiago?

It is an ancient pilgrimage route in Spain that leads to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, where the remains of St. James the Apostle are believed to be buried. In recent years, it has become an increasingly popular journey, undertaken for many different reasons—some for faith, some for reflection, and others for personal challenge. But for almost everyone, it is a transformative experience— 500 miles of stepping out of one’s comfort zone.

In the film The Way, a grieving father, **Tom**, travels to Spain after his estranged son dies while attempting the Camino. Rather than simply collecting his son’s remains, Tom decides to walk the Camino himself, retracing his son’s journey.

Along the way, he meets fellow travellers, confronts his grief, and undergoes a quiet but profound transformation. It is a deeply emotional yet hopeful story—one of loss, healing, and human connection. A real stepping into the unknown on all sorts of levels.

The Gospel: A Call Beyond the Shallow Waters

In today’s Gospel, we hear about Simon Peter and his companions, who had fished all night but caught nothing. These were skilled fishermen, yet their efforts had failed. They must have been exhausted, perhaps even disheartened. It is into this scene that Jesus speaks a challenge:

“Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

In other words, “Try again. Step out beyond what feels familiar. Trust me.”

Despite his doubts, Peter obeys—stepping beyond his comfort zone, beyond what his experience as a fisherman tells him. And the result? A miraculous catch.

Imagine how that must have felt for Peter and the others.

Jesus does not just tell Peter to fish in the same place —He tells him to go deeper. This is symbolic of a call to step beyond what is safe and familiar. Many who walk the Camino speak of experiences that take them far outside their comfort zone— sharing dormitories with strangers, carrying only what they can fit in a rucksack, enduring physical exhaustion and self-doubt. No matter how much they prepare— physically, emotionally, and spiritually—the reality of the journey is always different from what they expected. That’s what happens when we step out into the deep.

Abundance Through Obedience

These first disciples trusted Jesus. Even though they were experienced fishermen, they recognised their own limitations. They knew they couldn’t do it alone.

For many of us, there is a temptation to be self-sufficient—not just avoiding help from others, but sometimes even acting as if we don’t need God. As churches, too, we can sometimes fall into a mentality of scarcity—if only we had more people, more money, more resources, then our church life would thrive.

But the God we worship is a God of abundance. The challenge is whether we, like Peter, are willing to trust Jesus, step out of the familiar, and follow where He leads.

In today’s passage, the catch of fish is so great that their nets begin to break. The boat begins to sink. They need help from others—even those who were not in the boat with Jesus! Together, they bring in the catch.

An Abundant and Diverse Catch

This miraculous catch of fish reminds us of God’s overflowing generosity. But let’s pause and reflect: how do you picture the fish in those nets?

Do you imagine them all the same? A neat, identical shoal?

Many children in Sunday schools will be designing paper fish today as they think about this bible story —each one different, unique, reflecting their own creativity. If you were to watch a modern-day fishing industry catch being landed, however, you might be surprised—and even disturbed—by how many sea creatures are discarded and thrown back into the water because they don’t fit the expectations of the catch.

An Inclusive Church

In this passage, Jesus tells Peter that he will now be “catching people”instead of fish. If we take this analogy seriously, we must recognise that God’s call is for everyone—not just those who look, think, or act like us.

If, like those first disciples, we feel called to step beyond familiar settings—into unexpected places—we may find ourselves engaging with people who are very different from us. People whose lives, backgrounds, and experiences challenge our assumptions.

But here’s the key: God values them all. Every single one. Imagine—just imagine—if our churches today experienced the kind of miraculous “catch” that Jesus gave to Peter. A community of radical inclusion, filled with people of all backgrounds, with stories and experiences unlike our own. Would we be ready for it? Would we embrace them? Can we really step out beyond our comfort zone?