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[The Lord] makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.
-Matthew 5:45b
I woke up to a very rainy chilly day today. On days like this, I remember that Peanuts cartoon. It is indeed a good system. What if the rain only fell on the unjust. If you were having a rough day or week, or as most of us... year, or perhaps struggling with a relationship, an addiction, a job, or personal challenge, you're reminded of your shortcomings every time it rains. Or even worse, what if you really were mostly doing okay
and you walked around on rainy days without a care and totally dry. How would you treat the people you met who were drenched? What if it was someone you didn't like? What if we were drenched and someone we didn't like was bone dry?
What a blessing it is that we don't know who is righteous or not in the eyes of God. What a blessing simply to know every single person we meet is a beloved child of God and may be struggling more than we know. And that everyone who meets us must assume the same. We get the opportunity to be known by our best efforts, rather than assumptions, and we are called to do the same.
In a world where everyone feels anonymous enough to be vulgar and cruel too often and only put their positive image out for others to see on social media, as believers, we are called to reject that system, to be real and vulnerable with one another, and to provide the love and safety for others to do the same, without worrying who will get wet on a day like today. Rain is a great equalizer. We all need an umbrella. And we all need a little grace.
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