I think the umbrella is closely linked to 'Murphy's Law.' You know that old phrase that states 'if anything can go wrong, it will.' Or maybe more accurately it should be interpreted as 'Whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way.' Still unsure? Let me explain. You know the way, in our country where it pours fifty percent of the time and drizzles the rest? So most people, when they are out walking and the clouds suggest that rain may be imminent, will usually travel prepared for the inevitable. For instance I have watched many a parade on the twelfth of July where those walking almost invariably carry a smart, black umbrella usually with a wooden handle, or in more recent times, a short, expandable affair that is possibly easier to carry but no aid to walking. And indeed most women will have a similar implement in their shopping bag or swinging from one wrist as they peruse the goods on offer in the shop windows and beyond. I think at the last count we had possibly three such devices in the boot of the car and maybe a fourth one sitting in the pocket of the passenger door. But more often than not, in our hurry to leave the safety of the vehicle for the 'pleasures' of neon lit materialism, we also leave the rain protectors behind and of course that is the moment when likelihood of showers becomes a certainty. Maybe that's why we have so many of these umbrellas in the car, because on more than one occasion, there has been a need to buy another just to be able to return to the vehicle in a reasonably dry state. A couple of weeks ago we were not so lucky. Having just arrived in Washington DC one Sunday night, as the sun was leaving and knowing the Capitol Building was within easy walking distance of our hotel, I urged wife to forego her tired state and accompany me towards the Mall. Darkness was beginning to envelop the sky, like a huge umbrella hanging over the city but I suppose in our desire to see some sites we may not have taken time to look properly at the overhead clouds and to distinguish between impending night and impending rain. We hadn't gone far but of course far enough to be closer to our destination than our temporary home when there was just the slightest warning of what was to come in the form of two or three oversized drops of water from on high. In the time it takes to decide whether to turn back or go on, however, a multitude of raindrops had joined the heavenly host and the only decision left was how to remain dry till the storm passed, which of course it didn't and neither did we. It is at such times that several thoughts come into one's head. First, the total inadequacy of tall, leafy trees to protect a human being from torrential rain. Secondly, how good it would be to carry an umbrella at all times, even when there is no obvious threat of precipitation. Thirdly, how unsympathetic and indeed uninterested American cops are when others are obviously suffering in the midst of a crisis. And fourthly, how cold and heavy clothes become when they are completely saturated with water. And so we limped home, in the continuing deluge, half expecting to see an ark float around the corner and made our way through the hotel foyer to the lift and up to our room as inconspicuously as is possible when everyone else looks dry and small puddles of water are congregating around our feet. I suppose the porter didn't help our mood either when he suggested that if he had known we were going out, he could have given us one of the guest umbrellas for the evening. We never did get to the Capitol that evening.
So when is an umbrella a parasol? I guess when the sun shines. Though by the same token, a parasol is unlikely to be an umbrella when it rains. This is because most parasols are made of a lighter material that is generally not waterproof so I guess standing under a parasol near the Mall would have produced similar results. I think maybe for me that illustrates the difference between being a Christian and being religious. There is no doubt that going to church, reading the Bible, doing plenty of good things in life, having respect for the minister, supporting third world initiatives actively and passively and even believing in God are very notable things that many would ascribe to doing. But James reminds us in chapter 2 that 'Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.' You see unless you believe that Jesus, through His death and Resurrection is the only way to be reunited with God, then you miss the whole point. It takes more than a belief in a Creator, it takes an acknowledgement of our sin, our wrongdoings and a desire to be forgiven through His Son to make us healed spiritually. Otherwise, all these other things are like a parasol that's OK until the real crunch comes and then we might as well have no belief at all. Maybe you need to have an umbrella that works in all conditions, a faith that is not dependent on the weather or our mood or any other situation we encounter. The umbrella of Jesus' unconditional love that surrounds us on sunny and dark days. Here's a tip from experience. Always have that with you and you'll never go wrong.
