Lately, I have been trying to find a hobby that might improve my attitude during this pandemic time.  This has led to gardening and requires some clarification.  My gardening involves one  small, potted lemon tree (you don’t want to overdo it).  My goals being:

 

Our worst enemy in life is “fear”. It paralyzes our emotions and inhibits our actions. It causes us to focus only on ourselves, and our safety. Everyone faces this emotion, as it is always present inside us, waiting to grab our spirits and lead down the path of “woe is me”. At times, it even feels as though we are drowning as bad news incessantly bombards us. And all we want is a for someone, anyone, to through us a life preserver.

I suspect that most of you reading this, have never lived through a time like we are currently experiencing.  Do I go out or stay in?  Am I appropriately cautious or paranoid?  Are we ever going to return to anything like, what my memory identifies as normal?  I don’t know!  People ask why we haven’t opened the church for worship.  Folks ask for my thoughts, as a minister, on the current social discord, but are really seeking an affirmation of what they already believe. And my responsibility is to reflect and apply the gospel message to current events as objectively as I can.