I Can See Clearly Now, the Fog is Gone

 

“Kind words do not cost much, yet they accomplish much.” Blaise Pascal 

I’ve been living in Fog City this past week. No, the town hasn’t changed its name, but we have hit the foggy season, so each morning I arise, look out the kitchen window, and find visibility is often down to less than a hundred feet. 

I love the fog. It is so thick and mysterious. Distant foghorns sound as ships creep and crawl past one another upon Puget Sound or the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Despite the wonderful technological marvels of radar and sonar, they make their way ever so slowly lest tides and currents steer them unwittingly onto the rocky shores or across dangerous reefs. If the waters are too crowded or too perilous, the ships come to a halt, drop anchor, and wait until it is safe to venture forth again. 

This “Year of the Pandemic” seems to have put us all into a bit of a fog-bank, hasn’t it? It has for me, anyway. I find I am more lethargic, less energetic, perhaps even less daring than I would normally be (not that I was ever in danger of being mistaken for Errol Flynn, Harrison Ford, or Hugh Jackman). I haven’t exactly dropped anchor, but I’ve slowed down. I know slow and steady wins the race, but at the pace I’ve set for myself now, I suspect when I get to the finish line the human race will have evolved into something completely different: Homo-Covidians (or something).

That’s OK, though, because we’re not really in a race. There are no winners and losers. There are just opportunities to become gentlers and kinders. Can you imagine what the world might look like if we were to let our better angels be in charge?

The challenge, of course, is with the worser angels who like to take advantage of the better angels. Like the speed demon who weaves in and out of traffic because those driving safely and legally are “in the way” and he (or she) is late, owns the road, or whatever. I am reminded of the fellow who put a nice piece of furniture out on the sidewalk with a “FREE” sign taped to it. No one wanted it, so he put a “$75” sign on it and it was immediately stolen that night. No one wants “free” when they can steal something of value, right?

So we know there is tension in the world. Our good hearts want to be kind, do good, live humbly and gently, but we’re surrounded by bad dudes and dudettes. Or so we think. In fact, we’re not really surrounded by a ton of bad people; there are simply enough bad people around to keep us on our toes (and local locksmiths in business).

I don’t want to live in fear. I don’t want fear to rule my life or shape the decisions I make. I want to be as authentically who I am as I’m able. And so, while idiots may make waves, I’ll continue to putter across the seven seas unperturbed. When thieves break in and steal, I’ll simply learn to live more simply! When bullies strike me on the cheek, I’ll probably just hit back (for I may be a Christian, but I’m not perfect – just forgiven). But who knows, I might be given grace enough to turn the other cheek (for I also believe in miracles).

The point is that a day will come when the Son (or Sun) of righteousness will appear and burn away the fog. When that happens, we’ll be able to see more clearly, and we won’t need to be about the business of blowing our own horns. And that, come to think about it, would be a welcome change for us as we hit the home stretch of this election cycle, too, wouldn’t it?

Until then, I’ll just continue to make my way through the murky soup of life here in this, our foggy valley. Until next time: be kind, wear masks, wash up, and smile.