A few weeks ago, I referenced "rainbows and kitties" as positive attitude promoters. I wrote about our kitten shortly thereafter, and now, as if on cue, a rainbow has appeared to give inspiration. Just a few evenings ago, there was a stunning arc in the sky, perhaps the most complete-looking display of color in a rainbow I ever remember seeing.
Even though there is a perfectly rational, scientific explanation for the occurrence of rainbows, there is something special about them, too. The prophet Ezekiel, in an attempt to describe his "vision of divine glory," said, "As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord...." (Ezekiel 1:28)
Of course going back even further in biblical comment, we read of the mention of a rainbow in the book of Genesis, following the Flood. Recorded in chapter 9, God said to Noah, "I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth." God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant....When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature..." (verses 11-16)
The heavens are filled with wonder and breathtaking beauty. The stars and planets, the sun rising and setting, clouds and the phases of the moon often have me looking upward, contemplating the vast universe and how everyone on earth is in this life together. Wherever we are, whatever our social standing, race or creed, we are loved and we are connected to each other. But especially when I see a rainbow, I like considering that God is looking at it, too, remembering his covenant, thinking of all of us, his children.
Thanks, Terry. "The heavens are filled with wonder and breathtaking beauty," and "how everyone on earth is in this life together." Those thoughts mean a lot to me. During a short stint as an academic planner, I met people in the field who bemoaned the segmenting of faculty into academic departments because they became self-centered special interest groups. Similarly, segmenting earthlings into nations can have the same effect. I wish my fellow countrymen cared for the other parts of the world and their conditions as I do.
ReplyDeleteOh, Ken, I know what you mean. I risk being labeled unpatriotic, but every time I hear the phrase "God bless America," I cringe. Not because I don't want our country to be blessed, but because I want everyone, on every nation on earth, to be able to live in peace and freedom. It is, I believe, an extremely un-Christlike thought process which has led to what we've become as a nation, not only in our foreign policy, but regarding domestic issues as well.
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