Fish Fry (8/11/2023)

Today is Friday in Wisconsin which means that most every restaurant that will be open for dinner will feature a fish fry. We’re known for it here in the Badger State. And almost every Friday, just the thought of it makes my mind return to my childhood and the plant fish fries that we went to with our dad. These fish fries weren’t just about getting a great meal; these evenings were all about building community.

All the employees brought dishes to pass, but everyone knew the real treats were the fresh fried fish and, of course, the hush puppies. How I love hush puppies! And for hours upon hours, the kids would dart about playing their games and the adults would stand around visiting. There were some seasoned fish fryers who knew just how to make the fish batter, dip the fish, and fry the filets to perfection. And of course, there was always extra batter with the flavor of fish to drop into the kettle to make those “to die for” hush puppies.

Everyone showed up for the fish fry. Seriously, everyone showed up. The early crew rubbed elbows with the late crew. The warehouse manager sat down with the cooler manager over dinner. The office workers joked with the forklift operators over the buffet. It didn’t matter what your job was on fish fry night; all that mattered was that you shared a connection because you were all part of something bigger. The men and women of that Sioux Bee Honey plant in Waycross, Georgia knew as they came together that together they made a difference. What they did together provided for them all as well as for others who benefitted from their product.

Community was a big deal to my dad, but what he really tried to stress was that they were a team, a community with a common purpose. Fish fries weren’t his only method for building it. He also used to have my mother make huge batches of cinnamon rolls and bring them to the plant for coffee break. Everyone showed up and ate and joked and brushed elbows on cinnamon roll days. We kids got to come along to witness the fraternizing over those rolls. It’s one of my favorite memories growing up.

As disciples of Christ, we are a community, but more than that, we are a team. We share a common purpose to love Christ and to live Christ daily in our homes, at work, and in our community. And we need to know one another, support one another, be there for one another, appreciate one another. How I wish I could invite everyone in my local parish to a fish fry with hush puppies. How I wish everyone would come realizing the value in coming to know the other members of the team, the Living Body of Christ. How I wish everyone in the pew realized that they were part of a team, that our journey is not meant to be lived in isolation or with the idea that all that matters is our personal journey.

Today, may we spend time considering how we might connect better with others on the way. May we look for ways to come to know, appreciate, and support the journeys of our sisters and brothers in our local faith communities. May we grow to see ourselves as part of a community that shares not only a common place of worship but a common purpose.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.