sermon excerpts: "Promises in the Sky"

My scientific mind tells me that rainbows always existed. Even before Noah and the ark, they were always there. Light shining through moisture droplets in the atmosphere cause prismatic diffraction, breaking white light into its component parts: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

In this Genesis reading, rainbows take on special significance as a symbol of the covenant that God makes with Noah. Never again will the world be punished by flood. God cherishes and treasure all life and all creation. Now if we could learn the same lesson: to appreciate the miracle of our lives and the value of this worldwide community.

Our temptation is to distance ourselves from others, or define ourselves by how we’re different. Think about Presbyterians or Anglicans or Catholics or other United Churches, or conservative or liberal or moderate, or traditional or progressive – let alone Jews and Muslims!

It is scary to leave the safety of what we know, like the animals in the ark. The imperfect and flawed reality of what we know is not necessarily more appealing that the unknown, unguaranteed promise of success and new life. But the comfort of knowing what comes next is less risky. It is hard to leave a refuge or share what goodness we have, like the raven that was happy and safe with the olive tree all to himself.

It is worth noting that this covenant is not only with God and Noah, and his sons. It is with every living being on the earth – every creeping animal, every flying bird – is everafter safe from a divine wrathful flood. (Which maybe why we’re all so worried about hellfire and brimstone instead).

Noah and his family, on the cusp of a new and terrifying journey of re-creation and re-integration, finds solace in the sky. A gorgeous band of colour and light offering a promise, a covenant from God, is assurance for the task ahead.

Is it as simple and trite as preaching that after the storms of life a rainbow shines in the sky? It is true, that within our own lives there are times of trial and hardship. Storms roll in and out thunder claps and fades, but after it all, the rainbow remains. It is eternal; as long as the sun shines and clouds give rain there will be a sign of hope, a promise of care and an affirmation of value.

At the end of the rainbow we have God, giving a divine promise that we would not be abandoned, left to drown in the storms of life. Beneath this rainbow is this creation within which we lie, love, work and suffer. And in Christ, that covenant comes to life, urging us to face life and spread the rainbow message so that it covers the entire earth, from age to age, beginning and end.