Let Your LOVE Rain-Down...

     At around 5 o'clock, this AM, I was awakened by the sound of RAIN...anyone, else, hear it? It was coming down in torrents, slapping against windows and external-walls, SO loud, as to disturb my slumber. But, now, 4 hours later, the sun is poking through the clouds, and, from the look of things, it's gonna be a beautiful day. I'm grateful, that, we got some rain, as the ground has been getting, quite, dry, and, the earth needed the watering; otherwise, I prefer to see the clouds disperse and the sun make it's appearance, especially, because, the airshow is 'on the agenda' for so many, this weekend. Ever notice how, 'clean' everything feels, after a saturating-Spring rain? It's, always, refreshing, for us to take a shower; and, in the same-vain, the same applies to Mother-Earth, and, how She feels, after a soaking-rain. The nature of water is cleansing and refreshing, and, a thing, necessary, to survival. It can 'wash away' the grime on the ground, in the same way, as in a conventional- Baptism, it washes away the 'Sin' of the Soul. The word for baptize in Greek is baptizo, which means 'to dip, plunge, submerge, or immerse.' Baptism in the New Testament was related to the ministry of both John the Baptist and of Jesus. John's baptism was symbolic of one's repentance from sin and of willingness to participate in the kingdom of God (Matt. 3:6-8; Luke 3:3-16). In the Catholic belief-system, this rite is performed, typically, on babies, this 'act' of washing away 'Original' Sin. Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior and the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. Personally, I feel, that, a person ought be old, enough, to understand the rite and tradition of this sacrament, before being 'indoctrinated' into his or her Faith; babies, have NO idea, as to what they are experiencing, with regard to this, 'passage' into Christianity. Other Christian-based religions, such as Baptists, encourage that a person, interested in becoming a 'follower of Christ', and, taking the 'step' toward his or her 'dedication to Christ' seek baptism at an age, whereby, they understand the commitment that is being made. The earliest, practicing, Baptists began this, custom, for, they held that because infants were not yet able to claim the faith for themselves, their baptism was not valid; this, a notion, which, Catholicism would disavow, for sure. In any event, the use of water, to cleanse and purify, is widely used in many, religious, practices. Whether or not, a person has been baptized, as a child, or chooses baptism, in his or her adult-life, is, truly, inconsequential, to his or her dedication in a desire to be a Christian. Quite, honestly, I don't feel, that, the physical-act of baptism is a necessity; for if a party lives a Christian-based life, loving others as self, showing kindness, understanding, and acceptance toward a brethren, and, extends him or herself to others, in times of need, he or she IS honoring Christ, by and through those actions. Just Sayin'...