This morning, as I sat by the window watching the birds, I watched the sunlight slowly break through the clouds. A welcome site after all the rain we have had recently. The way it touched the earth, warming the land reminded me of a simple truth: the sun shines on both the righteous and the unrighteous alike.
Our Lord, in His mercy, does not withhold His blessings from those who are far from Him. Just as He allows the sun to rise and the rain to fall on all people, He extends His love and patience to both believers and unbelievers. Christ Himself teaches this in the Gospel of Matthew: “He causes his sun to rise upon the good and the bad, and he causes it to rain upon the just and the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45) In this teaching I see an example for us to expand our prayers and our hearts. It is easy, perhaps natural, to pray for those we love—our brothers and sisters in the faith, our families, our friends. But what about those who don’t know even God? What about those who reject Him, or those who have wronged us? We are called to pray for them too.
To pray for our enemies is one of the most difficult commandments Christ gave us, but it is also one of the most powerful. By praying for those who persecute us, we reflect the very heart of God, who desires that all should come to repentance and salvation. “The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9, New Revised Standard Version) Our prayers should not be limited to the circle of those who are close to us or who share our faith. We must also pray for those who live in darkness, that the light of Christ may dawn upon them as well.
It takes humility to recognize that, at some point, we too were far from God. Whether by our own sins, by ignorance, or by rebellion, we have all stood in need of mercy. And yet, God in His great love did not give up on us. How, then, can we give up on others?
Early in the morning when preparing my coffee, I stand next to the coffee pot tapping the counter top, impatiently waiting for the coffee maker to spit out just enough for me to pour a cup. I confess that my patience is thinner in the early morning hours than at any other time. The sun that shines on the unrighteous is a sign of God’s patience. He is waiting for them, just as He waited for us. Each day that the sun rises is another day of grace, another opportunity for souls to turn toward Him. And we, as Christ’s followers, must intercede on their behalf. We must pray not only for our loved ones but for the lost, for those who have gone astray, and for those who oppose us.
Of all people, I know this is not easy. But the life of a disciple of Jesus was never meant to be easy. It is a path of sacrifice, of dying to ourselves, and of loving as Christ loves. To love and pray for those who hate us is not weakness, but strength—a strength that comes from God alone.
As the sun shines on this world today—on the righteous and the unrighteous alike—let us remember our call. Let us pray for our enemies, for the unbelievers, and for all those who are distant from God. May our prayers be like beams of light, reaching into the hearts of those who need it most, so that they too may one day know the warmth of His love. It is God’s will that all should come to Him. And as His children, it is our duty to pray and hope for the salvation of all, trusting that He can turn even the hardest hearts toward the light.