Pastor's Corner

A Faithful Response to Fear

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. . . . So, do not be afraid; you are worth far more than sparrows."
(Matthew 10: 29-31)

I recently attended a meeting of the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Association in which AT&T presented their proposal to place cell phone transmitters in our bell tower. Officially, this neighborhood body could not reject that proposal for "health and safety" reasons, because federal law prohibits rejection on those grounds. But a number of our neighbors on Averill Avenue and 8th street expressed deep fear of this proposal, claiming we would "microwave" their children. Others expressed belief that these transmitters could "fry ducks" in Averill Park.

I am not a scientist, but even I know that these claims are absurd. Radio waves are 1 foot long outside the body and 2 inches long within it. They cannot be focused in the same way that microwaves can. Moreover, radio waves have been transmitted safely in this country for about 100 years. If they were going to cause great harm, we'd probably know by now. On the other hand, I don't know everything, and I am willing to learn more.

One resident of San Pedro has created a very frightening web site (westsanpedro.org) claiming that cell tower transmissions cause all sorts of problems throughout the world, and one of our dear neighbors, Jeff Moore, was so disturbed by this site that he distributed fliers throughout the neighborhood listing that web address. These fliers did not list the American Cancer Society, the Federal Communications Commission, the Central for Disease Control, or any number of other agencies that have repeatedly verified the safety of cell tower transmissions. But the fliers did stir up a lot of concern.

Because of Jeff's hard work, several of our neighbors called me to complain about the AT&T proposal. I explained to these neighbors that negotiations are still in progress, and our session has not approved this plan. But that assurance did not alleviate their fears. Thus, I wouldn't be surprised if some of these scared people picketed our church this very week, and I wouldn't be surprised if one or two of them even tried to disrupt our Sunday worship. Fear causes folks to do all sorts of crazy things.

These disruptions can be unpleasant, and they can be ugly. But they can also be managed. In order to manage any possible disruption, I am calling a meeting this Saturday morning immediately after the men's breakfast to create an "action plan" for ushers and other assistants who might be able to help us with these neighbors. And I'm asking all of you to be patient with these people, realizing they are filled with fear.

I am also convening a forum for the neighborhood at 10 a.m. this Monday, March 15, in the Sanctuary. Frank Hong will attend this meeting on behalf of Councilwoman Janice Hahn. And Kyle Sutherland, our liaison with AT&T, will bring an expert teacher to explain the basic physics of radio wave transmission and the safeguards that would be used to prevent those waves from causing harm. After making that presentation, Kyle's expert teacher will also answer any questions that might arise and hear any comments that the audience might make. Unlike the congregational forum we held 3 weeks ago, the sole focus of this meeting is health and safety. But church members are more than welcome to attend.

My goal in these meetings is to prevent undue disruption of our ministry while also treating these good people with respect. We care about our neighbors. They are worth far more than sparrows. We may not see them "at their best" in the next few days, but we want to do our best to alleviate their fears and demonstrate our concern for them.

p.s. Daylight Savings Time begins this Sunday morning. So, don't forget to "spring forward" and set your clocks AHEAD by one hour this Saturday night.