The following comes from “UP: Lenten Journey, 2017”

Leaving the Wapiti Campground, which is near the town of Jasper in the northern section of the park, we headed out early for a full day’s adventure. The first stop would take about a half-hour drive to reach: Athabasca Falls. Not the tallest waterfalls by any measurement, this falls is famous for the sheer volume of water that cascades into the gorge. The sound and spray are all encompassing as you stand at the observation alcoves. As I watched nature’s fury, the early morning sun and the water molecules combined to form a rainbow.

I love rainbows. For some reason, they always come as a surprise to me. That was certainly the case with the rainbow that I saw at Athabasca Falls. Instead of hanging in the sky, the rainbow was down in the midst of the gorge. It playfully caressed the hard rock that the water was rushing over.

Some are quick to point out the science behind rainbows. They are, after all, an optical illusion that occurs when you view water droplets at a certain angle relative to a light source. After a rain shower on a sunny day, as the air is still moist, you are likely to see a rainbow. At the falls, with all the airborne water droplets, rainbows commonly appear.

For me, they live in the place of spirit and delight which science fails to describe. With childlike glee, I will announce, “Look a rainbow!” I want others to share in the joy and fleeting experience. Rainbows don’t last forever. When moisture levels change, angles of light change, rainbows can disappear.

Rainbows have spiritual significance for those who read the Bible. The Noahic covenant involved a rainbow as a sign of the covenant that God made with Noah that creation would never be destroyed again by a flood (see Genesis 9:12-16). It is the first covenant made by God in scripture, and it is truly a covenant with all creation. Rainbows remind us of God’s desire that life continues in all its complexity, diversity, and even brokenness. That said, the rainbow reminds God too: “When the bow is in the clouds, I [God] will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creation of all flesh that is on the earth (Genesis 9:16)." God remembers the promises made to all living things with the help of rainbows. Cool thought!

The covenant that God made with Noah and all living things (by extension that includes us) is but the first of many covenants in which the Creator relates to the created. Even after humanity breaks its end of the covenants, God remains merciful and moves in the direction of forgiveness and liberation. We are liberated, freed, from the things that prevent us from living life fully as God’s children. Freed by the grace and mercy of God so that we might live as children of God. Liberated that we might orient our lives in the direction of the Spirit. What does this mean?

It means that we have work to do. The work of opening ourselves to the Spirit’s movement as it builds community and seeks to bring people together. It is to be a co-creator and care for this planet, for the rainbow forming water that rushes over the rocks. To care also for the relationships that God has entrusted to us. Our family and friends – to be sure. But also to be open to the possibility of caring for the stranger and the outsider. Here, we are invited to think beyond the Christian family; honor and respect all humanity. For all bear the image and the promise of the Creator.

When our prejudice or short-sightedness gets in the way, then we need to look up. When our spiritual arrogance wants to claim exclusive rights to God’s care, then we need to look up at the moisture rich air with the sun at our backs. When we are so caught up in our little worlds that we lose sight of the bigger picture, then it’s time to look for rainbows. Look and remember. Delight in the freedom God has given us to be alive. God is looking too!