Rain as a Unifier

I just read a Facebook status update from Congressman James Lankford, Oklahoma 5th District, in which he commented about the "beautiful rain" which central Oklahoma is currently receiving.  I submitted a reply to him: "The rain this morning is wonderful. I'm sitting at home (on Spring Break) with the front door open listening to the rainfall and feeling the coolness of the air."

I then had the realization that rain should be viewed as one of the great unifying factors throughout the world.  We are all impacted by rain in some capacity.  Some areas get too much.  Some don't get enough.  Others get just the right amount at the right time.  Regardless of the quantity of rain, it is still something which impacts us all.

People so often look for reasons to draw distinctions between themselves and the "others".  Gender, race, nationality, religion, wealth, physical abilities, etc., etc., etc., are classifications used to separate "us" from "them".  I wish that we would all have a strong perference for looking at those things which show our similarities...things such as rain.   The Christian scriptures attest to rain as a factor for unity: "[God] sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45b). Whether rain is viewed as a good thing (typically be those who don't receive enough) or a bad thing (typically by those who get too much) it is something that when it falls it impacts all of us regardless of the distinctions we try to draw.

So while roaming the remote roads of life I encourage you to focus on those things which serve as indicators of the unity of humanity rather than those things which try to exhibit division.