Big Fish, Real Love

Rev. Dr. R. Douglas Throop reimagines the post-resurrection “breakfast on the beach” passage as a politically charged act of resistance, rather than as a quaint, rustic scene. As the Disciples were fishing in Roman times and today struggle for Indigenous fishing rights, Throop portrays them as “poachers” in occupation lakes, risking arrest for their food. He explores how Jesus overturned the imperial order by feeding his followers his own "big fish" instead of sending them to swear loyalty to the Emperor. Jesus' threefold challenge to Peter was, 'Do you love me?' Serves as an invitation for the Church to choose love over bureaucratic self-preservation to feed and care for marginalized people. In a world where economic and political power rule, raising pressing questions for those outside the Church: What does love look like when it becomes action rather than mere sentiment? Is faith based on feeding rather than controlling people?"