Matthew 5:44-47 - 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 Indeed if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even tax collectors do that, don’t they? 47 If you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the unbelievers do that?
An analogy that gained popularity over the last year says, “we’re all in the same storm, but we have different boats.” It’s describing how there are things in our world that don’t care who you are or what you have they will affect you. Things like the weather—rich or poor, black or white, man or woman—a rainy day is a rainy day. The differences arise when we start talking about how prepared “the boat” you live your life within is prepared for these times.
When you can afford a decent place to live a rainy day is at worst an annoyance, you are safe and dry within your four sturdy walls. However, if you don’t have those four walls a rainy day can be a time for panic and a fight for survival. It is this difference in boats that we all must learn to recognize and empathize with.
One of the biggest problems we have as a society, and the church, is not recognizing how important something is until we need it. I know someone who hated the idea of people being paid unemployment. He thought they were lazy mooches that should just go out and get a job. That was until he fell on very hard times, realized that he needed it, and saw how it helped his family.
If even just the people of the church could make compassion their knee-jerk reaction, there would be a revival that could not be stopped. In these words of Jesus, He tells us rainy days and Mondays are going to happen: no matter what boat you’re living in, no matter where you put your faith. What does matter is how you face those storms and help people along the way.
We see a lot of division these days. There are “us” groups and there are “them” groups, and if we see all members of “them” groups as irredeemable then we will never live up to our calling of sharing the gospel with all people. Don’t lose hope for people that you see as totally lost. We’ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Thankfully we have savior that came to do the hard work to save us.
Who should you be praying for?