A Promise from God

The Rainbow, is God’s Promise

A Reflection for the First Sunday of Lent 2012

By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFD

Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy

Based on the readings from: Genesis 9:8-16, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:12-15

www.franciscansdivinemercy.org

www.miaaionstsergius.org

In the first reading for today is God’s promise to Noah and his sons after the great flood.  It begins with these words; “Then God said to Noah and to his sons: I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

Since we trust in God we can know that the end of the world will not be from floods. It is the next sections of the readings I find more significant for those who have chosen a rainbow as a symbol for their movement. 

The Rainbow Nation because it symbolized to them the diversity of all the ethnic groups that make up the world. 

The GLBT community because it symbolizes the diversity of sexual orientation God created in all His children for reasons known to Him alone.

Since the promise God made was ; “ Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."(Genesis 9:8-15)

When we see the rainbow symbol we need to remember that God created every living thing on the face of the earth and has made a covenant , a binding promise with us and we must honor that promise by respecting ALL God’s children.

We must never discriminate against any human being for any reason, be it their race, nationality, marital situation or sexual orientation and remember that God had his reasons for creating people the way He did. We find God’s diversity in everything on earth, animals, plants, insects, and rocks, everything that exists on earth and in the heavens.

We should never be so bold as to question why God created the diversity, but welcome it and embrace it and accept it for what it is by looking for God within it.

When we reject it and cause those that are different from us in any way some suffering or we discriminate against them we give ourselves over to what Satan wants. Satan thrives on war, suffering, and anguish using them to tear people away from God.

Satan is constantly trying to prove that he is as great as God which is exactly how he was cast from God’s presence. Satan felt he could challenge God and be as great as God.  Ever since he was tossed out of Heaven he has attempted to lure every human creature God has created from Adam and Eve to Jesus Christ and every human being that has ever lived. Many of the Saints have recorded their temptations and how prayer and living as Christ taught brought them through their “Dark Night”

Mark’s Gospel tells how Jesus was tempted by Satan in the desert as he was preparing for his public ministry.

It should remind us that Satan does not discriminate against any one even the Son of God.

In fact, the closer we try to follow the will of God the greater the temptations Satan will use to turn us against God.

After all; if Satan thought he could convince Christ to abandon his ministry what makes us think he will ever leave us alone.

The Gospel story ends with these words; “Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

“THE GOOD NEWS” exactly what was the good news? It is that Almighty God is a merciful, forgiving, and infinitely loving God and we can achieve the promise of eternal life by living as Christ taught us with these words; “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (Luke 10:27)  

Lent is the time when we take stock of ourselves in regards to our relationship with God and how well we are following the teachings Christ.

Every time we see a rainbow we should remember that we are called by God to live our lives in a way that hurts no one and exhibits to all we encounter on our life journey our love of God.

We need to embrace God’s diversity and know God’s love has no boundaries and is given freely to all who seek it with purity of heart.

God will never break His promise and neither should we break the promise we made in the waters of our Baptism.

As the song from Carousel reminds us; “At the end of every storm there is a rainbow which should remind us of God’s infinite love for us.  AMEN