As the rain came, unrelenting, I found myself staring out the window, somewhere between fear and awe. When it was finally done, I thought of how untouchable we often feel, nestled here in the Commonwealth. Often, we're asked to give to relief efforts and mission funds, and when we respond--if we do--it is with detached sympathy for the plight of others in some far-off place. But as we turn on the national evening news and see stories about ourselves--our dead, our flooded churches, our homes ravaged and memories buried in mud, it is a startling reminder that those who suffer aren't just fellow humans, or figurative neighbors, or even brothers and sisters. It is us. This time, next time, every time.