Careful

“Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise.” Ephesians 5:15

It’s Saturday, which means I’m sitting at a park watching a child play sports. In this particular case, I’m sitting in the shelter at Taylor park while Torsten plays soccer in the rain (huzzah for mobile hotspots!). Well, they’re not actually playing soccer. They’re practicing. The game itself has been deemed too dangerous during COVID-tide. So they wear masks and keep their distance while they dribble and pass in the rain.

Being careful is something we’re accustomed to these days. The pandemic has led us to take precautions that would have been unthinkable a year ago. This is about being cautious, of course, but there’s more to it than that. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul connects care with wisdom. This care includes caution, but it’s really about being caring. To be wise in Christ is to care for one another. This is not simply, or even primarily, about being cautious in our living to protect ourselves. It is about being bold in our living to care for and protect one another.

You, friends, are alive in Christ. You are free, with nothing to fear. And that is precisely why we are to be careful. Wear your mask. Keep your distance. Love one another. And enjoy the rain!

Be well, friends. You are loved.

God of wisdom, you have given us insight into the ways and workings of this world. Let us use our minds and hearts to care for one another. And we bless you for this rain, which nourishes the earth and reminds us of our baptism. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Image: Torsten, fifteen minutes ago, before the rain started in earnest.