Pastor’s Corner: We Know that We Can

Editor’s note: This reflection was written a day before the Board of Deacons voted to cease gathering for worship and return to a worship experience via the Internet only.

August 5, 2020

More people are sick with COVID-19 in the State of Hawai’i now than at any time since the pandemic reached our islands. In May we saw very low new daily case counts – one or two a day, with a few days that saw no new diagnoses at all. The numbers began to rise slowly just about the first of June, and they have climbed precipitously since July 19^th. Over the weekend, gatherings of more than ten people have been restricted on O’ahu.

On this island, we have continued to see a small number of new diagnoses. Leaders of Mayor Harry Kim’s COVID-19 Task Force credited that to the discipline and diligence of our community. It is not something we can maintain by ourselves, however. Interisland travel no longer requires a quarantine. O’ahu’s problems, Maui’s problems, and Kauai’s problems are also our problems.

I’m afraid it means that our discipline and diligence will remain necessary for some time to come. It also means that some of our neighbors may undergo extended hardship because of employment loss. It means that we will miss the reassurance of our regular encounters with our friends. It may mean that we have to follow O’ahu’s lead and reduce the size of our gatherings.

None of that appeals.

We have, however, demonstrated that we can do this. We didn’t like it. We didn’t enjoy it. It cost a lot – and we did it. If we have to do it again, we can. We won’t like it. We won’t enjoy it. It will cost a lot.

It will also preserve the lives of people we dearly love. It will preserve the lives of people we have never met. It will preserve human lives.

If we have to do it – and I hope we don’t – we know that we can. We know that we will.

With aloha,

Pastor Eric