Rainbows


Many windows in my street - like yours too, I expect - now have rainbows in them. Origin unknown, these handmade artworks are meant to raise a smile in a difficult time. They can do more than that.

The rainbow as a symbol has been misappropriated in recent decades but its biblical context is the frightening story of the flood and the great remaking of creation in Genesis 6-9. After almost all life on earth has been wiped out, God promises Noah that He will not do this again:
“This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” (Genesis 9:12-16)
So, when you see a rainbow in a window, or the sky for that matter, let it be a reminder to you of this promise, of God's steadfast love and faithfulness.