Good News of Recovery

We saw friends from Newfoundland over Christmas, a couple whose four teens were in the youth group we began when I was sent to The Rock for my first ministry placement. One of those four is now a United Church minister in Barrie, Ontario and her parents came for a Christmas visit. Thirty years later we still love seeing them (yes, they are the couple we stayed with two summers ago) and catching up on outport life.

They shared good news about the cod stocks which we all know went from extraordinary abundance to virtual extinction due to over fishing. This year the cod were back in a way that was beyond expectations. Along with the individual food fishery there was a limited commercial fishery because there were so many fish. Around Change Islands where our friends have a summer home the cod and caplin (a tiny fish consumed by many creatures) were abundant and the whales were there to feed. A friend of these folks hauled up a 35-pound cod on a hand line another encouraging sign because the larger fish had virtually disappeared.

The decimated cod stocks have been a disheartening example of mismanagement and greed, something at which we humans seem adept. I was encouraged by this small example of the recovery of God's Creation, when given a chance. Apparently the salmon population is recovering as well.

Now, if there could only be a recovery of the minister stocks. The pastoral charge I served and many others in Newfoundland simply can't attract a minister!

Any thoughts?