The saying “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” is often thought to be a bible verse, though in fact it is a quote from the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism. But the Bible still has a lot to say on essentially the same subject:
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,” Jesus said in Matthew 25:35, speaking of the salvation points (so to speak) people earn from basic charity, kindness and fellowship. Just as in Proverbs 22:9 it is written that “whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.”
In the parable of loaves and fishes in Matthew 14:15-21 Jesus works a miracle to feed a large crowd with only five loaves of bread and two fish. But at the second lenten fish fry on Friday at the Eagle Grove Evangelical Lutheran Church they had 200 pounds of fish and potatoes, and lots and lots of bread and sweets besides.
And it was a good thing, too – for there truly was a host of multitudes for Big John’s famous fish fry! And everyone, of every faith was welcome in the true spirit of Christian charity, and community fellowship.
