I have two tropical fish in individual bowls on the window sill over my sink, plus I have an aquarium in the living room.
Male betas live in the bowls over the sink—one deep red male beta and the other dark blue. They swirl through the water, hiding and darting about the plants, coming to the surface when I drop food in the water.
If one male beta catches sight of the other male beta in the other bowl nearby, he ruffles up his fins to make himself look big and threatening. I try to keep them far enough apart so they can’t see each other, with the fish food container in between, but sometimes it just happens. Male betas don’t get along with any other fish, not even the female beta.
Neons are small tropical fish with a fluorescent stripe down their side. They run in gangs. If you see one, you will see them all, for the rest are soon to follow. There is no discernable leader, just a bunch of followers all moving together.
Guppies are the flashy ones in the tank. They have long multicolored tails and float around near the top, showing off.
Another one is the gourami, a fish that grows pretty large and can be a predator. They will attack whatever is smaller or wounded, nibbling at tails and fins until the other fish dies or eating it whole.
My favorite is the angel fish. Big, round, flat, with pretty coloring and angel wings, they float gently through the water and reflect light.
Oh, and we love the goldfish, the one that can live under most any circumstances, in any old bowl or jar, as long as the water is changed once in a while and a pinch of food is dropped into the bowl now and then. But the goldfish will only grow as big as the bowl will allow.
Which fish are you?
Romans 12:18, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”
We live our lives in a glass bowl. Let’s live in peace with our fellow bowl-mates and let our shiny souls reflect the light of Christ to all who see us.