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Good Morning . My journey to work invariably involves a bus journey and then a ride on the London Underground. While I enjoy the short walk to the bus stop, as it gives me an opportunity to focus on the day ahead, I tend to dislike what happens on arrival. Being something of a stickler for certain etiquette, if I see a queue, I tend to join it at the back. Unfortunately, not all my fellow commuters see things this way, and happily saunter to the front without a care in the world. Worse still, there are others who choose to ignore their queue positions once the bus arrives and rush to the front to board first. 

That’s why I like it when it rains in the morning; for one thing, queue protocol is totally abandoned, as everyone does their best to huddle inside the tiny bus shelter that is adjacent to the stop. Moreover, aside from providing much-needed irrigation, downpours encourage us to abandon our usual reserve and actually engage with one another. Our close proximity in the bijou bus shelter is often the catalyst for acknowledgement in the form of smiles and nodding. The braver ones will temporarily disregard their mobile phones and discuss the urgency of catching a bus to take them to work, a job interview, a business meeting or hospital appointment.

In Isaiah 55, the Prophet suggests that ‘…the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish…’ In my part of London, the rain has a similar impact, by transforming, albeit temporarily, unfriendly, curmudgeonly commuters into more open, accessible travellers. While some might see it as rain, for me they are showers of blessings that show the importance of human interaction and engagement.

Dear Lord, on our various journeys today, help us to be mindful of those we encounter, looking for opportunities to engage rather than ignore.