DEAR HARRIETTE: I agree with your advice to “Back to Church” regarding avoiding a situation with no social distancing. However, I suggest that you add the fact that depending on God means using the brain and common sense He gave us. We are not commanded to follow blindly. To include those thoughts might give the reader more comfort in disagreeing with her pastor. -- Also Back to Church
DEAR ALSO BACK TO CHURCH: As more cities and states open up, more houses of worship will be open for parishioners. Your recommendation is key right now. Having faith does NOT mean turning your common sense over to a higher power or even to your pastor, rabbi or priest. You have to use your brain. Evaluate the risks versus the rewards. If you are a person with a compromised immune system, you need to beware of going into crowded spaces.
I spoke to a front-line medical doctor who said that we are going to have to figure out how to live in this time of COVID-19 because it will be months if not longer before we will have a vaccine -- the only thing that can give us some protection from it. His point was that we have to practice all safety precautions and learn to go about our daily lives. This calls for conscious awareness of our steps. Faith is essential, too. Just don’t stop thinking for yourself.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)