Read: Genesis 8 and 9
Today’s lectionary readings, used in Sunday worship, tell the story of Noah’s ark. Or, more specifically, they tell the story of what comes after the ark. The flood has receded, the earth has dried, and Noah and his family have disembarked, squishing their toes into the drying mud. God sets God’s bow in the heavens as a rainbow and promises that such a flood will never again cover the earth to destroy every living thing.
The rainbow is a sign of God’s own persistent joy. God chooses to rejoice in creation in full knowledge of its brokenness, and this joy will restrain God’s anger from such destruction ever again (Genesis 8:21). The rainbow gains richer meaning from the fact that it will only appear in the presence of rain. God’s promise of forbearance appears when gathering clouds tell us that we will need the promise most. As imitators of God’s persistent joy, we can practice holding space for joy even when we don’t feel it. We can hope in the midst of hardship by trusting that God’s promises are for us, forthcoming, and forever.
This week, take a daily photo of something that reflects persistent joy. The challenge is twofold. First, try to fill the frame of each photo with a different color of the rainbow. Second, aim to capture images that represent beauty, hope, or endurance despite hardship. A daily prompt will guide you. By the end of this week, you’ll have a rainbow photo collage that refracts God’s persistent joy to remind you that God’s love surrounds and sustains you, no matter the weather.