21 February 2021

God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.
Genesis 9:8-15, NRSV

Over this last year, images of rainbows have abounded as a sign of hope during the Covid pandemic. Today we recall how this sign gave hope to the people of Noah’s generation. After surviving the flood, Noah made sacrifice to God for his deliverance. The rainbow represented God’s response – the promise to never again allow the world to be destroyed. This covenant between God and man was for all time, but as we know, throughout history people have have not been so good at keeping up their end of the deal! Nevertheless, God has not given up on our less than perfect world and continually seeks to work with us to restore and redeem our world.

• • Why was the “bow in the clouds” a suitable sign of God’s promise?
  • Where can we see signs of hope for our world today?

Make a note of any sign of hope that you see or experience today.