After an afternoon rain on July 8, I looked up in the sky and saw a beautiful rainbow. It looked as if it arced over the Fort Hill area in Robbinsville.
Columnist Roger Carlton captured the rainbow with a photograph printed in the July 16 edition of The Graham Star. The photo captured the color and the beauty of the rainbow over the shores of Lake Santeetlah. The same afternoon, there was a rainbow seen in Cherokee. Could this have been the same rainbow?
I would like to believe one beautiful rainbow covered all of Graham County. What a blessing that would be for a rainbow is a sign of God’s promise giving humankind another chance.
The story of Noah and the ark is not just for children. It is a story of how because he found grace in the eyes of God, Noah, his family and the animal kingdom were saved. Once the waters of the flood subsided, Noah stepped off the ark, built an altar on dry land and made an offering to God. Then God made a promise, a covenant to Noah and all humanity,
A covenant is different that a contract. Contracts are made between two parties. They can be renegotiated, canceled or broken. Some have a time limit or expiration date. Yet, a covenant is a promise, made binding by an oath. The covenant can be by word or symbolic but once made it is not to be broken as it is to fulfill future promises. God made the covenant with Noah and all creation.
What was the covenant God made with Noah? It was God would never again cut humanity off by flood waters and never destroy the earth by a flood again. As a sign of God’s covenant, God’s bow would be put in the sky.
The bow the Bible is talking about is an archer’s bow. The bow is an ancient symbol of war. The ancients believed God used the bow to shoot lightning arrows to the earth. After a rain – by setting the bow down on the earth for all to see – it is a reminder to everyone, God is at peace with humanity.
Rainbows are a delight to witness and always bring joy to the heart. They remind us of the story of Noah, his ark and the great flood (Genesis 6-9). Rainbows are also a reminder that God gave humanity another chance.
An old spiritual hymn goes,
God put a rainbow in the cloud
(God put a rainbow in the cloud)
Well, it looked like the sun wouldn’t shine anymore
God put a rainbow in the cloud.
During this deadly pandemic, we are filled with fear and concern about the future. Seeing a beautiful rainbow reminds us of God’s promises and care. Just as Noah found grace in the eyes of God, everyone can find grace because of Jesus Christ.
For God has made a new covenant, a covenant of salvation to all who call upon Jesus and trust his promises of life eternal.
Eric Reece is the faith columnist for The Graham Star. He is the pastor of Robbinsville United Methodist Church.