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Take Back the Rainbow

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Take Back the Rainbow

By: Anonymous

What is more beautiful than a rainbow, gleaming in the misty sky? It is a thing of delight and wonder.

God gave rainbows specifically as reminders of His covenant after the Flood that devastated the earth, with only a remnant surviving in Noe's ark: "I will establish my covenant with you, and all flesh shall be no more destroyed with the waters of a flood, neither shall there be from henceforth a flood to waste the earth... I will set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be the sign of a covenant between me and between the earth." (Genesis 9:11,13; full quote below; all Bible references from the Douay-Rheims Version)

He affirmed that covenant in Ecclesiasticus 43:12-13: "Look upon the rainbow, and bless him that made it: it is very beautiful in its brightness. It encompasseth the heaven about with the circle of its glory, the hands of the most High have displayed it."

How unfortunate that in our decadent day the rainbow has been abused by some groups promoting a political agenda of deviancy. Instead of expressing wonder at God's incredible and beautiful creation, the rainbow, it is used to express a nonexistent "diversity." Rather, the rainbow is pushed as a way to divide our society by pushing good, moral people into a corner – and shutting them up.

Of course, we should pray for those advancing this agenda that so misuses the rainbow. They suffer from a horrible sin and need to come to God and repent, as many of them do all the time. The Bible is clear on this: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind, because it is an abomination." (Leviticus 18:22) [Note: For more on homosexuality, try here.]

And: "Know you not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God? Do not err: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, Nor the effeminate, nor liers with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

And: "And, in like manner, the men also, leaving the natural use of the women, have burned in their lusts one towards another, men with men working that which is filthy, and receiving in themselves the recompense which was due to their error." (Romans 1:27)

How do we take back the rainbow? First, we need to start with prayer, including asking for the conversion of those who misuse this and other parts of God's creation. Without prayer, nothing is possible. With prayer, anything is possible.

Next, we should celebrate the great use of the rainbow in art. Begin with the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from "The Wizard of Oz." Once the coronavirus (COVID-19) "social distancing" (has passed,) how about parties in people's homes showing the movie to kids? ^*

Children also love building a wooden or cardboard "ark" with animals and people inside. A rainbow can be colored with crayons on paper pasted on a wall.

Families also could form a Rainbow League to notify one another when a rainbow appears, so everybody goes outside and looks in wonder. Pictures could be taken and sent through email and messaging.

Older kids could use science classes to study the optic properties of rainbows, having fun with prisms.

Literature classes could include a section on rainbow poetry, such as Charles Lamb's "The Rainbow":

After the tempest in the sky

How sweet yon rainbow to the eye!

Come, my Matilda, now while some

Few drops of rain are yet to come,

In this honeysuckle bower

Safely sheltered from the shower,

We may count the colors o'er...

After that, students would be encouraged to write their own poems on rainbows.

And students could study the use of the rainbow in paintings throughout history. Pictures of these are on the internet. If nearby, local art museums could be visited.

Such as:

* The depiction of the rainbow in Genesis in the Augsburger Wunderzeichenbuch, c. 1550.

* John Constable, Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows, 1831. [Note: The 'Salisbury Cathedral' was originally Catholic (Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary), but unfortunately it is now Anglican.]

* Frederic Edwin Church, Rainy Season in the Tropics, 1866.

* Albert Bierstadt, Four Rainbows over Niagara, date unknown.

* Landscape with Rainbow, Alexey Savrasov, 1881.

These are just some of the ways to celebrate God's beautiful creation of the rainbow. He gave the rainbow to us for our delight and consolation. The rainbow is a covenant with us promising His great bounty forever.

+ + +

God's Creation of the Beautiful Rainbow in Genesis 9:9-17...

"Behold I will establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you: And with every living soul that is with you, as well in all birds, as in cattle and beasts of the earth, that are come forth out of the ark, and in all the beasts of the earth. I will establish my covenant with you, and all flesh shall be no more destroyed with the waters of a flood, neither shall there be from henceforth a flood to waste the earth.

And God said: This is the sign of the covenant which I give between me and you, and to every living soul that is with you, for perpetual generations. I will set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be the sign of a covenant between me and between the earth. And when I shall cover the sky with clouds, my bow shall appear in the clouds:

And I will remember my covenant with you, and with every living soul that beareth flesh: and there shall no more be waters of a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the clouds, and I shall see it, and shall remember the everlasting covenant, that was made between God and every living soul of all flesh which is upon the earth. And God said to Noe: This shall be the sign of the covenant, which I have established, between me and all flesh upon the earth."

Signature: Anonymous

* Reminder: We do not endorse any artist, author, movie, painting, poem, etc.

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