We depend on the character, good judgment, and wisdom of thousands of complete strangers for us to remain alive each day.

Other drivers, people we pass on the street, food preparers, basically everyone in the community we interact with or who contributes to the fabric of our daily lives is essentially on an honor system.

Total strangers.

By trust alone, we survive on hope that most have good intentions, are educated in their roles and occupations, and are in a reasonably healthy mental state, at least for that moment.

Now, multiply that number of people by the number of family and friends you love and hold dear and the fragility and likelihood of any of us living to the next day is nothing short of frightening.

Yet news of how society continues to fail us, mental health deteriorates, and basic morals and education decline, it’s an actual miracle we all have stayed relatively intact and unscathed for this long with all these odds increasingly stacked against us.

This is precisely why we pray.

Wise as serpents and gentle as doves (Matthew 10:16) is our instruction for survival in a random and unpredictable world.