Turn away from it and pass on” (Proverbs 4:14-15).
Whereas a few months ago most had never heard the term Social Distancing, it has become a way of life during the current distress in which we find ourselves involved—the coronavirus has taken control of our lives, for the most part.
In this passage, the preacher introduces a concept that has far more lasting significance for us than Social Distancing. If ever a passage gave sound advice about what our attitude toward the world around us should be, this is the one—it teaches us about Spiritual Distancing.
We have a tendency to look for absolutes—we want direct commands against doing something before we will take it seriously. Without a direct command, human tendency is to rationalize ourselves into thinking something is okay or, at least, to look for a way of escape so that we can do what we want to
This passage abolishes that idea. It puts another layer between us and sin: it says don’t even flirt with the idea of sin nor even get close to it. The preacher says avoid it, turn away from it, and just pass it by. In other words, our place with God in eternity is far more important than anything this world has to offer.
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