I felt nervous when I got the text message from Air Canada that my plane was delayed due to mechanical issues. When we finally boarded after the one-hour delay, we were told that we could not take off due to the severe thunderstorm. The rain drops were pounding against the window. I wasn’t scared. But I was a bit anxious. And I was bored. Another thirty or forty minutes passed. The rain stopped. Our plane began to taxi. What truly made me happy, however, was the rainbow that appeared in the still-clouded sky.
According to Genesis 9:12-13, the rainbow (虹) is a sign of God’s covenant. It should thus remind us of God’s promise to Noah: Never again—shall there be a flood—to destroy the earth (Genesis 9:11). Imagine Noah standing on the dry ground after the flood. Although he was happy that the waters were gone, I think he also felt fear in his heart because he just had seen the incredible force of God’s judgment. So, God comforted Noah’s heart and spirit by giving him a visible and tangible sign: the rainbow in the clouds. What an amazing and beautiful sign! While the rainbow has been unfortunately appropriated by LGBTQ+ movements, the Bible teaches that God gave Noah the rainbow as a sign of his everlasting covenant. So, when we see a rainbow, we should think about God’s mercy and faithfulness toward Noah and his descendants.
So, when the rainbow appeared, I thought about God. And he comforted me.
