Pastor’s Corner: Things I Don’t Do

October 7, 2020

There are so many things I want to do.

I don’t do a lot of them.

I don’t spend time in the sun without sunscreen.

I don’t drive like a car chase in the movies.

I don’t throw garbage on the street.

I don’t tell stories about anyone without their permission.

I don’t do some of the things I don’t do because they’re not good for me. As is probably obvious, my skin won’t tolerate strong sunlight for very long, and the consequences are pretty painful. I don’t do some of the things I don’t do because they’re not good for me and they’re not good for others. I might be a good enough driver to imitate Hollywood, but I’m more likely to injure myself in trying it. I might injure others as I do.

I don’t do some of the things I don’t do because they’re bad for the public at large, like the garbage in the street. I don’t do some of the things I don’t do because they’ll harm not just other people but also our relationship with one another.

It’s funny how the practices we’ve adopted to limit the spread of COVID-19 fall into these same categories. If we mask and keep our distance we protect ourselves from illness. At the same time, we protect our loved ones and our neighbors. And at the same time, we tell everyone around in unmistakable terms that we care about their health and safety.

Take care of yourself. Take care of your neighbors. Take care of your relationships, friends. We have a long way to go.

With aloha,

Pastor Eric

Photo by Eric Anderson: I also don’t cross over safety barriers.