No Rainbow without Rain

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 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 9:13-16 

Noah and his family knew discomfort.  They had to endure the public ridicule of building a massive ark and then loading it up with animals, all while the sun shone.  And, then, as the rain came down and the flood came up, I am certain that being cooped up with thousands of animals, with all their particular behaviours and needs, would have driven them crazy. 

When it was all over, God gave Noah the rainbow as a sign of his covenant – his binding agreement – with all of humankind.   

As I have come out of the (relatively low grade) funk that overcame me in the few weeks before lockdown ended and “freedom day” occurred, I chose to look for “silver linings in the dark clouds” of our last two years of school, and the effect of the pandemic on all we try to do as a College. 

As a start, I wondered what the distilled “wisdom of the internet” had to say about the lessons we have learnt from the COVID pandemic, so far.   Here are some highlights: 

• Family matters - it is really important to connect with family
• We need to take mental health seriously; isolation's health toll is real
• Getting outside is critical; fresh air and sunlight. Exercise matters.
• Pausing to enjoy nature can be really cool!
• Getting online can be for good
• Gathering carefully; follow the rules!
• Masks are useful tools, vaccines have big impacts
• Everyone is not treated equally, especially in a pandemic - and that hurts
• Community is essential—and technology is too
• We need to embrace the art of slowing down
• Kids are great at making their own fun
• There can be great pleasure in preparing meals for loved ones
• Stress highlights the strengths and vulnerability of relationships
• There’s no time like a pandemic to throw yourself into new challenges
• People can be very adaptable.  (Who’d have thought it!)

 And, of course, the one I used as my article title: There is no rainbow without rain 

How about the thoughts from a cross-section of Christian leaders? 

• Life in a fallen world is not meant to be comfortable - but we modern westerners aren’t good at ‘uncomfortable’
• We crave control over our world; but when control eludes us, we panic
• A better response than panic and hoarding: looking out for the needs of others
• This pandemic is God’s severe mercy. It forces us to look for meaning and hope beyond this world.

Maybe one final offering, from scripture, as we reflect on what we have learnt about God, as we live in the light of his covenant with Noah all those years ago: 

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” 

Lamentations 3:22-24