A bad habit can be infectious

Last week I was returning home from the hospital. I had just visited two parishioners. Both of them were recovering from surgery. Thankfully, they seemed to be doing well.

While at the hospital, I could sense that things were not business as usual. There was more of an overall antiseptic smell than I had ever encountered before in a hospital.

On the one hand, I found this to be distressing. It was a reminder of how seriously the coronavirus outbreak is being treated.

On the other hand, it was of some comfort knowing that extra measures were being taken.

On the way home from my visits, I stopped to allow a car to enter traffic. The driver was attempting to exit the parking lot of a fast food restaurant.

This fellow must have just consumed some pretty tasty food. How could I tell? Well, before the car pulled out, the driver took the time to quickly lick three of his fingers. He was savoring the traces of a wonderful late afternoon meal.

I flinched upon seeing this; my jaw dropped, and I shook my head in disbelief.

As of late, there has been such an emphasis upon frequent handwashing, covering a sneeze or cough with the inside of the elbow, et cetera.

Perhaps the fellow was doing this out of habit? This made sense to me. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the first time that he licked his fingers after a meal.

Saint Paul writes in I Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”

If you are an adult, and still lick your fingers after a meal, please seriously consider breaking an old habit.

I can’t think of a better time to adopt a new behavior. Why not try something new? A suggestion: next time, and forevermore, please use a wipe to get the food residue off of your hands.

If you should get sick because you can’t break this habit, you may expose others to illness. This could be a cold, flu, or heaven forbid, coronavirus.

Common sense should come into play here. As Proverbs 4:13 says, “Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.”

It doesn’t make a lick of sense to do otherwise.

Walter is pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church and has served as parish pastor for more than 30 years.