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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Council considers end to prohibition in city parks Mushroom hunter rescued after rainy night in Merlin woods Get Up & Go: Dec. 2 Since You Asked: How low will it go? For now, just the 30s Emergency Services Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services Woman admits role in ID theft, bank fraud ring Community blog: The Hug-Let's Hope it Happens in Furgeson Too. Community blog: Ernie Whiteman Sr. The Definition of a SRO Emergency services Politics and Elections East Medford's the charm Pot, GMOs unite south Jackson County Buckley again named Ways and Means Committee co-chairman Latest count shows Measure 92 supporters narrowing deficit Granlund cartoon: GOP wrecking balls Education Kitzhaber calls for early education spending in budget proposal Medford leans toward three-quarter-day kindergarten Building audits will help district save energy, and money Homelessness is growing problem for Medford students Les AuCoin recommended for SOU board Environment Hawks use I-5 as hunting ground Curbing urban runoff in Gold Hill Mt. View Estates' fill, riprap work lacked county permit Birders sought for bird counts Grow 'em before you plant 'em State News Fishermen say Newport helo base may have saved their lives Kitzhaber calls for early education spending in budget proposal Eugene considers train 'quiet zones' Jesse Jackson calls for peace at Portland rally Bend retirement community brews for charity Nation - World Grand jury won't indict Ferguson cop in shooting Obituaries Lester Ray Stephens Freda Lee Davidson Edna �Alice� Soballe Morrie Dean Harvester Carla Louise Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories Sans stars, Spurs deal Sixers yet another loss Dolphins overtake run-happy Jets Winston’s conduct hearing slated today at FSU Exam will look at brain of Ohio State player Browns' Hoyer: 'I've gotten us to this point' Varsity 541 College Sports Winston’s conduct hearing slated today at FSU Exam will look at brain of Ohio State player Riley to take ‘good, hard look’ at program Frost might be in line for Nebraska job Marked Man Pro Sports Sans stars, Spurs deal Sixers yet another loss Dolphins overtake run-happy Jets Browns' Hoyer: 'I've gotten us to this point' Mariners, slugger Cruz nearing contract agreement Warriors win 9th straight, beat Pistons Community Sports Keeping Fit: Runners need to do more than run to stay in shape RESULTS/STANDINGS LOCAL EVENTS Business Latest Stories Southern Oregon wine industry had a robust 2013 Ride & Drive: The 2015 Toyota Camry Greg Zyla: Gift suggestions for car and motorsport enthusiasts Silvio Calabi: The 2015 Jetta returns to its VW roots Blog: 'Twas the 12 Days of Deals... Real Estate News Dear Monty: Violation of HOA rules creates conflict Farmers file suit over GMO crop ban Financial webinars offered for veterans and their families Home prices rise across Jackson County People In Business People in Business, Nov. 18 People in Business, Nov. 8 Transportation Allegiant Air will resume Medford-Phoenix service May 22 Medford airport passenger counts sky high in October Erickson reports third quarter profit Agriculture Southern Oregon wine industry had a robust 2013 Farmers file suit over GMO crop ban Lawsuit seeks to overturn Jackson County's GMO ban or net $4.2 million for farms Latest count shows Measure 92 supporters narrowing deficit Opinion Latest Our View: Waiting for someone else to step up Letters to the Editor, Dec. 2 Michael Gerson: Shrinking the global AIDS epidemic map Granlund cartoon: Charitable donations down Letters to the Editor, Dec. 1 Editorials Our View: Waiting for someone else to step up Our View: What's in a name? Not that much, really Other Views: Klamath Basin agreement deserves approval Our View: Cheers (too thankful for a jeer this week) Our View: Day of abundance, season of sharing Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Dec. 2 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 1 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 30 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 28 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 27 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Are we the preferred path to global devastation? Guest Opinion: Fight for the rights of independent voters will continue Guest Opinion: 'Natural' not necessarily better for forest management Guest Opinion: County voters rebuffed judicial appointment process Fix health care reform, don't scrap it Lifestyle Latest stories Dr. Elaine Heffner: The emotions of the holidays Food for Thought: Sugar cookies offer holiday nostalgia Ride & Drive: The 2015 Toyota Camry Keeping Fit: Runners need to do more than run to stay in shape Jeff Vrabel: Unhappy accidents are hard to predict Food Food for Thought: Sugar cookies offer holiday nostalgia Kitchen Call: A change from turkey leftovers Community blog: In soup or salad, savor pumpkin with leeks Be a gravy-making star on Thanksgiving Food for Thought: Add new twists on Thanksgiving favorites Home and Garden Home Help: Luxurious upgrades don’t have to break the bank 9 ways to green your gift wrap Dear Monty: How to find a good real estate attorney Home Help: Quick tips for getting your home ready for the holidays Mortgage insurance: Your questions answered Health HealthStyle: Develop an attitude of gratitude Health Watch: Fuel up on carbs before workouts Health insurance enrollment help available Community blog: Appreciating Clouds: Year-Round Gratitude Community blog: A Little Toilet Talk Hiking Biking Faith Religion news: Pope aims to expedite sex abuse rulings Religion news: Seattle-based mega-church dissolves Religion Briefs 'Walk the talk' Religion briefs Milestones and Achievements Madi-Stiles A New Song Rogers-Horn New Arrivals ACCESS receives $50,000 donation from Wells Fargo Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Brunch at Loft Brasserie 2014 Providence Festival of Trees A grand illumination at the Commons Lighting up memories Jacksonville's Victorian Christmas Theater OCT's holiday show is a wonderful play New 'Alice' has some for kids ... and adults 'It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre 'Red Noses' a romp through slapstick and pathos SOU presents 'The Drunken City' Music Shae Johnson releases 'Can You Feel the Music' Jeff Kloetzel releases 'Long Time Coming' A new guitar slinger in town Peter Chianca: Top 40 songs even a dad could love The Farr Side: Different artists, common songs Community Events 2014 Providence Festival of Trees A grand illumination at the Commons Lighting up memories Jacksonville's Victorian Christmas New exhibits highlight Third Fridays Dining Brunch at Loft Brasserie The Bohemian Club Thanksgiving comes early at Taprock Word of Mouth: Brunch at Brothers' Restaurant Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Council considers end to prohibition in city parks ... Our View: Waiting for someone else to step up ... Medford leans toward three-quarter-day kindergarten ... Council considers end to prohibition in city parks ... Our View: Waiting for someone else to step up ... Medford leans toward three-quarter-day kindergarten ... Shayne Looper: The only place to start MailTribune.com Writer Posted Oct. 7, 2014 @ 7:28 am Posted Oct. 7, 2014 @ 7:28 am » Social News By Shayne Looper More Content Now Some people won’t do anything until they figure out everything. If they can’t do it perfectly, they can’t — or won’t — do it at all. And so of course they do nothing. Just try telling them what the English thinker and writer G.K. Chesterton said on the subject: "If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly." They’ll miss the point entirely. They may even shout you down. Chesterton was saying that some things — important things — cannot be left to the professionals. We must do them, even if we can’t do them perfectly. Chesterton was not advocating slip-shod work. He was saying that it is better to do some things partially ("badly" was his word) than to leave them undone. Raising children is one example (one Chesterton himself used). If the next generation were to wait to have children until they could raise them perfectly, they would be the last generation. Spiritual practices — like prayer and Bible reading — are another example. If reading the Bible perfectly (with a scholar’s knowledge of original languages and a saint’s aspiration for holiness) is a prerequisite, very few of us will have any firsthand knowledge of the Bible. This principle applies to all kinds of things. If we have to play like Alfred Brendel to sit at the piano, the ivories will be layered with dust. If we have to drive like Dale Earnhardt (Sr. or Jr., take your pick) before we get behind the wheel, the car will never leave the garage. If we have to cook like a French chef before we can go into the kitchen, we’re going to starve to death. There is a story in the Gospel of Mark about a woman who poured an expensive flask of ointment on Jesus’s head. Some of the people present — led by the notorious Judas — roundly criticized the woman, arguing that the ointment could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. Jesus, however, silenced them, explaining that "She did what she could." She took what she had and did what she could. The things she couldn’t do — prevent Jesus’s arrest or save him from the cross — didn’t prevent her from doing the one thing she could do. There are so many things we cannot do. Today I visited a friend who is very ill. I cannot prevent her death. I cannot even prolong her life. But I can talk to her, pray with her and encourage her to trust God. I can’t do much, but I can do something. How much better the world would be if we just did what we could. For example, we exercise so little influence over politics. But what we can do, we should do. We can vote. We can express our opinions. We can write our representatives. There is little we can do about global environmental conditions. But we can buy energy-efficient lighting. We can recycle and reuse. Whatever steps we think are appropriate to take (and we vary greatly in what we think those might be) we can urge congress to take them. We cannot end poverty in the world. It’s too big a job for us, which is why Jesus candidly told his first disciples that the world would always have poor people. But he was not giving them (or us) an excuse to do nothing. He expected them (and us) to do what we can. What would happen if people were to do what they can, rather than focus on what they can’t? What if the congress quit arguing about what they can’t do — raise taxes or expand Medicaid — and started making decision about what they can do? It would change the political calculus immediately and bring an unhappy period of government deadlock to an end. But I’ve slipped back (how easy it is) into talking about what other people can do. What can I do? That’s the revolutionary question. How can I make the world a better place or myself a better person? That’s where I need to start. And, in point of fact, it’s the only place I can start. Shayne Looper is the pastor at Lockwood Community Church in Coldwater, Michigan. 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