{"id":4570,"date":"2021-02-21T14:22:10","date_gmt":"2021-02-21T14:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/2021\/02\/21\/rainbows-and-rain-based-on-genesis-98-17-and\/"},"modified":"2021-02-21T14:22:10","modified_gmt":"2021-02-21T14:22:10","slug":"rainbows-and-rain-based-on-genesis-98-17-and","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/2021\/02\/21\/rainbows-and-rain-based-on-genesis-98-17-and\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cRainbows and Rain\u201d\tbased on Genesis 9:8-17 and Mark 1:9-15"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

When
\ndo you look for rainbows? \u00a0After it rains, right? \u00a0The Genesis story
\nconnects the rainbow with God’s promise not to flood the earth \u2013
\nagain. \u00a0It is an oddly timed symbol for such a promise, because by
\nthe time it stops raining and the rainbow shows up \u2026 it has stopped
\nraining and the fear of flooding is likely already relieved.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Or,
\nmaybe that’s the beauty of it. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Because
\nduring a rainstorm we can anticipate it. \u00a0\u201cWhen this is over, we
\ncan look for a rainbow!\u201d \u00a0So, even during the storm, we anticipate
\nit’s ending and the reminder that all will be well.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Of
\ncourse, in these days of climate changed by humans, rain can be
\nrather scary at times. \u00a0Floods come more often, and more destructive
\nthan usual. \u00a0But that actually fits. \u00a0The ancient Israelites were
\ndesert people and deserts have weird relationships with rain. \u00a0That
\nis, they need water for life, and have less of it than most, but
\nbecause the earth is so parched most of the time, and water tends to
\ncome in deluges rather than sprinkles, heavy rainstorms quickly lead
\nto flash flooding.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The
\nancient Israelites may have had some of our current misgivings about
\ntorrential rain, and this story may have been a way to center in the
\nmidst of their fears. \u00a0While it rains, you can anticipate God’s
\npromise. \u00a0When it is pouring, you start preparing for God’s sign of
\nhope.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

While
\nI believe that the rainbow became a symbol for LGBTQIA pride because
\nof the diversity of colors representing celebrating the diverse ways
\nof being, I have always appreciated this anticipatory hope aspect of
\nit as well. \u00a0The choice of the rainbow symbol, to those aware of this
\nGenesis story, is a choice to say, \u201cthings aren’t good now, but
\nthey’re gonna be.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Or,
\nin the language of the African American church tradition, \u201cGod is
\nthe one who makes a way out of no way.\u201d \u00a0(I’m so thankful for the
\ncreation of pride flags that intentionally include people of color as
\nwell as the trans community in the beauty of human diversity.) \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Dear
\nones, the rainbow feels like a good symbol in the midst of our
\ncurrent \u201cRainstorm\u201d, doesn’t it? \u00a0Or perhaps you want to call it
\na monsoon. \u00a0Your choice. \u00a0\ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Which,
\ncome to think of it, is also the Jesus narrative, and our gospel
\nlesson today. So much of what happens in the story assumes a greater
\nknowledge of the time of \u00a0Mark and Jesus than we generally have, so
\nlet me retell the story with some context put in:<\/p>\n

\n

\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cIn those days, Jesus came
\nfrom Nazareth (Nowhereville) of Galilee (sketchy!) – leaving behind
\nhis family, friends, and village \u2013 everything he knew, everything
\nhe was. \u00a0He was baptized by John \u2013 a rural Holy Man, in the River
\nJordan, the traditional waters for the Ancient Jewish People.
\nBaptism marked Jesus as a student of John’s, it also symbolized his
\nchoice to leave behind his society and culture and obligations, and
\nfollow only the Divine.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nAs he was coming out of the
\nwater, he had a God-experience, a rather beautiful one. \u00a0It was as if
\nthe heavens were torn open and God was more accessible, and the
\nSpirit came right there to be with him. \u00a0Jesus heard a voice offering
\na blessing, claiming him! \u00a0 “You are my Son, the Beloved; with
\nyou I am well pleased.” \u00a0In such a way, he who had left his kin
\nwas adopted into God’s family.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nAfter such a profound blessing
\nthough, the Spirit of God send Jesus into the wilderness. \u00a0Jesus did
\nnot choose it, the wilderness is the place where it is hard to
\nsustain life, and he was alone, and he struggled, and he was tempted,
\nand he had to figure out what it would \u00a0mean for his life to be a
\nHoly Man too. \u00a0He was there for 40 days, like Moses was awaiting an
\naudience with God. \u00a0With God’s help \u2013 again proving Jesus as God’s
\nkin \u2013 Jesus made it through.<\/p>\n

\nWhen he came back out of the
\nwilderness, his teacher John had been arrested. \u00a0He was on his own as
\na Holy Man. \u00a0He went back to Galilee, that suspicious place he was
\nfrom, and started speaking God’s ‘good news.’ \u00a0Which didn’t sound
\nexactly like people expected it to. \u00a0He said, ‘The time is fulfilled,
\nand the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good
\nnews.’\u201d1<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

That
\n\u201cgood news\u201d seems to require a little bit more examination. \u00a0One
\nscholar points out, \u201c’Gospel’ was most commonly used in antiquity
\nto announce benefits to the populace.\u201d2<\/sup><\/a>
\nAnother summarizes what Jesus says with, \u201cHe boldly announces that
\nthe reign of God \u2013 with its dreams of justice and love, equality
\nand abundance, wholeness and unity- is dawning.\u201d3<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Jesus
\nis a rainbow.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

He
\nis a sign of hope, in the midst of the storm. \u00a0He comes out of
\nnowhere, is claimed by God, and offers a message of hope and promise.
\n The world with its power hierarchies, the world that counts some
\npeople as \u201cdisposable\u201d, the world where economies exist to let
\nrich people get richer on the labor of the poor, the world that wants
\nto appropriate religion to support the powerful, the world that tells
\nthe 99% to fight each other for the scraps left over after the 1%
\nhave been fed, the world which says to take care of yourself and your
\nown first and let other’s fend for themselves \u2013 the WORLD’s powers
\nare at an end. \u00a0A new reign is coming, and it will look entirely
\ndifferent. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In
\nGod’s kindom, there is no hierarchy, everyone is working toward for
\nthe common good. \u00a0In God’s kindom there are no disposable people, all
\nare treated as beloved children of God. \u00a0In God’s kindom, there are
\nneither rich nor poor. \u00a0Instead, each person offers their gifts and
\nlabor for the betterment of the whole, and resources are distributed
\naccording to need. \u00a0In God’s kindom, we all treat each other as
\n\u201cinsiders\u201d and work for each other’s well-being as well as our
\nown.<\/p>\n

To
\nrepent is to let go of the fear, the competitiveness, and the
\njudgements of the WORLD, and allow the love, the hope, and the
\ncompassion of the kindom to take root.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This
\nisn’t easy. \u00a0It never has been. \u00a0Nor is it now. \u00a0Judgements are hard
\nto let go of, including judgements of ourselves. \u00a0They’re extra hard
\nin matters of life and death, like vaccines, and access to health
\ncare, and decisions about masking and distancing and schooling and
\nchildcare and caution vs. risk these days. \u00a0Right? \u00a0The issue is that
\nthese judgments slip far too easily into shame, including self-shame
\nfrom people who have gotten COVID, which IS blaming victims. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I
\ndon’t claim the authority to know about the best vaccine distribution
\nplan, but I do think it is useful to take a kindom look at our
\npandemic lives. \u00a0What does it look like when we look from love, hope,
\nand compassion? \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

From
\nthat angle, I see a lot of gratitude: \u00a0for the ways people have
\nadapted to make all of us healthier, for creativity and hard work in
\ntrying to keep things going as they need to, for those offering care
\nor services even when there is risk to self involved. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I
\nalso see more clearly the injustices of the moment: \u00a0that not all
\n\u201cfrontline workers\u201d have had a choice about if they want to be in
\nthe frontlines at all, and that far too many people are forced by
\neconomic circumstances to take risks they don’t want to take. \u00a0That
\npeople of color have been impacted in a multiplicity of ways: \u00a0with
\nless access to adequate housing, with more people doing \u201cessential
\nwork\u201d, with less access to protective gear, with higher poverty
\nrates that require taking greater risks, with less access to health
\ncare, and with less responsive health care when it is accessed. \u00a0(To
\nname a few.) \u00a0Each of these systemic pieces of racism in our society
\nare highlighted by the higher infection rates and higher death rates
\namong people of color, and show us yet again the impact of disparity
\non people’s very lives. \u00a0Lack of equity kills, and movements from the
\nworld-as-it-is to the World-as-God-would-have-it-be are movements
\nfrom death to life.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Looking
\nat the pandemic from the kindom view, mostly, I’m overwhelmed with
\ncompassion: \u00a0for the impossible decisions everyone is making to the
\nbest of their ability; \u00a0for the dehumanizing isolation so many are
\nliving with; to the life-draining balancing acts being asked of
\nmothers, fathers, and caregivers. \u00a0From this view, judgements
\nlighten, and love grows. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Finally,
\nthe kindom view reminds us that we are no stronger than our \u201cweakest
\nlink.\u201d \u00a0That is, we are unable to be healthy in isolation. \u00a0Until
\nthe WORLD is vaccinated, all of us are at risk. \u00a0And that’s always
\nbeen true, but now we can see it clearly.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

We’re
\nall in this together. \u00a0We’re all in this storm together (although it
\nimpacts us differently.) \u00a0And from the midst of this storm, we’re all
\nreminded that at the end of the storm, the rainbow comes. \u00a0God
\ndoesn’t abandon us in the storm, hope doesn’t die, the kindom is at
\nhand, repent and believe. \u00a0Entering into the kindom’s values will
\nhelp kindom come. \u00a0Remembering the rainbow helps us live through the
\nstorm. \u00a0Thanks be to God. \u00a0Amen <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1<\/a>Summary
\n\tinfluenced by:<\/p>\n

\n\tChed Myers, Binding the Strong Man<\/i>
\n\t(Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1998 and 2008, ~128.<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n\tBruce J. Malina and Richard L.
\n\tRohrbaugh Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels
\n\t(Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003) 146-7.<\/p>\n

Debie
\n\tThomas, \u201cBeasts and Angels\u201d
\n\thttps:\/\/www.journeywithjesus.net\/essays\/2924-beasts-and-angels<\/a>
\n\t2-14-21, accessed 2-18-21. \u00a0\n\t<\/p>\n

2<\/a>Malina
\n\tand Rohrbaugh, 148.<\/p>\n

3<\/a>Myers,
\n\t91.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

February 21, 2021<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Rev. Sara E. Baron
First United Methodist Church of Schenectady
603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305
Pronouns: she\/her\/hers
http:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/<\/a>
https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FUMCSchenectady<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When do you look for rainbows? \u00a0After it rains, right? \u00a0The Genesis story connects the rainbow with God’s promise not … Continue reading \u201cRainbows and Rain\u201d\tbased on Genesis 9:8-17 and Mark 1:9-15<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[34,38,28,39,33,1850,83,155,1848,214,1851,1847,56,1849,1611,1322],"class_list":["post-4570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-fumc-schenectady","tag-progressive-christianity","tag-rev-sara-e-baron","tag-thinking-church","tag-umc","tag-a-lent-of-hope","tag-baptism-of-jesus","tag-compassion","tag-jesus-is-a-rainbow","tag-lent","tag-pandemic-from-a-kindom-view","tag-rainbows","tag-schenectady","tag-signs-of-hope","tag-sorry-about-the-homophobic-umc-world","tag-the-united-methodist-church"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4570","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4570"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4570\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4570"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4570"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4570"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}