Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone. Zechariah 10:1 NIV
There is something majestic about rain. It is unpredictable and indispensable for sustaining all life forms. Rain can be soothing in its outburst, yet devastating in its ferocity. It is one of the essential elements of life, which can be a blessing or a curse.
The rain has profound theological significance. In the book of Genesis, God used the deluge of rain to cleanse the earth from human wretchedness. It is also a symbol of a bountiful blessing from God. Thus, we are reminded in Acts 14:17; God has shown kindness by giving us rain from heaven and crops in their seasons.
At a time when hatred and the infestation of COVID-19 are polluting the earth, we need God’s rain to wash away our iniquities and purify the lands. The world needs a deluge of kindness and a downpour of justice. Let righteousness rain down on the White House and every hall of power. Let it rain on the economy. With over 34 million Americans filing for unemployment benefits, the poor and economically disenfranchised need more than just a stimulus check for $1200 from the government.
Let it rain in the criminal justice system so people from communities of color can feel safe when they leave their homes. We need righteousness to rain in every police precinct so that Black and brown people can start healing from their Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder they had to endure because of the racism that defines their existence. In this country, communities in Minneapolis, Louisville, New York City, and other urban areas need peace to rain during these troublesome and contentious times.
We need God's supernatural rain to wash away our contempt for people who do not look like us or do not agree with our politics. This country has been struggling for centuries to live up to the ideals of the Declaration of Independence. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice so we can live as one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The seeds of tears and blood they have sown needs the rain of truth and righteousness to grow.
In today’s text, the prophet Zechariah instructs us to ask the Lord for rain. We have to stop looking to politicians and start asking God to send his rain of peace and liberation to the victims of oppression. Rain is an indicator that change is imminent. Whereas I disagree with the actions of some of the protesters in Minneapolis, their cause is just. Thus, we need an avalanche of peaceful protest to erupt around this nation.
Only God’s rain can wash way the counterfeit ideology that one race is superior then another. As a black man and the father of a black son, I need God to send his rain of justice all over this nation. My wife and I are tired of worrying ourselves to death every time our teenage son leaves the house. I am sick and tired of being afraid to go for a walk or run in my own neighborhood because I do not want to end up like Ahmaud Arbery.
The sky has been overcast for centuries for people from communities of color. We have been waiting for the rain to sweep away this nation’s legacy of racism and injustice. Dr. King prophesied the coming of that rain and talked about creating a beloved community where people of every race and ethnicity can live at peace with one another. I am beginning to think that I may not see that beloved community in my lifetime. Indeed, the events of this week are putting in doubt my hope for the creation of the beloved community. So, from the depth of my anguish as a black man, I say, “let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” Amos 5:24
Prayer- Blessed Lord, please send down your rain of righteousness upon this nation for the sake of the oppressed, the poor, and downtrodden.