Submitted by Brad Inglis
Well, I’m writing this on April 1st, April Fool’s Day and I feel like I’m walking through one big prank and waiting for it to end. These are unbelievable times, but at the same time, some of our older folks have helped to put it into perspective. There are no bombs going off all around us, we are able to walk freely out of our doors, our windows aren’t blackened out like in war times and we can see the sun. And, this won’t go on for six years like the war did. It is humbling to be given that reality check as I whine about my little inconveniences. I’m not hiding in a damp basement; my bed is just as comfortable as it always has been. It is feeling like changing times, but will we really change when this is all over? Will we continue to check in with each other, be more conscious with our resources, appreciate our ability to move freely throughout the world?
Even though it is a time of crisis, stress levels are running high and folks are dying, can you not hear quietly in the background, the sound of the earth making a sigh of relief? Sort of like that babysitter who relaxes just for a moment when the kids have finally settled down. We aren’t tearing up and down the highway, rushing to get errands done and bustling to get to places that will always be there.
However, having said this, I can also appreciate that this is a community that depends on the tourist season, so that we can exist all year round. So, emotions will run high. Concerns for making ends meet, are real. Need for government intervention is going to be critical. And the need to be gentle with each other is going to be more important than ever. Time is not standing still. We are going to need lots of patience and understanding. Cottagers who own their property and pay taxes will be coming earlier this year to open their places up. They are part of our seasonal fabric and we need to welcome them like we do every year, as important contributors to the economics that we rely on.
We aren’t sure what the Thrift Shop will look like this year, when we will open and what will happen without those important funds that are generated every summer. We too are in a holding pattern and will keep folks up to date with those plans. So, don’t get rid of those clothes that are too tight! You still might be able to unload them at the Thrift Shop.
One thing that will go forward but in a different format will be the virtual Hike For Hospice. It historically has happened in early May. This year we will be doing individual hikes, respecting social distancing. I plan to hike from my desk to the fridge and I have already started practicing. If you would like to sponsor me, you can make your donation directly by going to the Bruce Peninsula Hospice web page, go to Hike For Hospice and look for Brad’s Team. I will give more information in the next edition.
You will find that I have also started putting on Youtube a mini-weekly service. If you go to the church web page you will find it posted there or on Youtube it is under From The Desk Of The Lazy Theologian. It will give you an opportunity to see me in action, perhaps give you an opportunity for reflection and get a taste of what church can look like in the here and now of our lives. It’s pretty amateurish, so lower your expectations and have fun with it.
Blessings to you as we move closer to spring and experience it in a different way. You are welcome to reach me at home at 519-596-2821 or by email. If you would like to receive some of my email blasts, just drop me a note and I will add you.
Brad Inglis is the minister at Tobermory United Church. He can be reached at binglis2@me.com
www.tobermoryunited.ca
