Thoughts on traffic, parking lots and the Old Testament

Jeanne and I were born and raised on the Olympic Peninsula of the state. At age 16, we both learned to drive there.

We also lived in the Bay Area of California for three years, and the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex for ten. Driving in those places was not for the faint of heart. When traffic was moving well it was incredibly fast-paced. To survive in those environments, I found it necessary to be hyper-vigilant and drive more aggressively.

I was thankful that we then served a church in a small town of 4,000 people. Driving for those six-plus years was far less stressful. There was only one stop light in town.

The pace of traffic on the roads of Moses Lake is somewhere in between these experiences.

One challenge I’ve had involves leaving certain parking spaces in town. Prime examples of this are in front of the Post Office and in supermarket parking lots. It is unnerving to have a limited vision while slowly creeping back to see if anyone is headed my way.

When I have done so, there have been occasions when drivers have not stopped or even slowed down. They just zipped on by. Such a dangerous habit may very well catch up with them at some point. If this should happen, I hope folks can walk away from the accident without bodily injury.

If I had a wish, it would be that people drive in a parking lot like it is a parking lot – slowly, with courtesy and caution at the forefront of their minds.

The Old Testament of the Bible is filled with examples of a people who, in many ways, did not learn from their mistakes. This is one of the purposes of having them written down. It is so future generations could be told of past mistakes and avoid such themselves.

What a blessing it would be if people could heed warnings before they learn the hard way.

Walter is pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church and has served as parish pastor for more than 25 years.