Rainbow

The First Reading of tomorrow's First Sunday of Lent Liturgy speaks forcefully about God's love and commitment to us and our salvation:

 'God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 

"See, I am now establishing my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
and with every living creature that was with you:
all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals
that were with you and came out of the ark.
I will establish my covenant with you,
that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed
by the waters of a flood;
there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth."
God added:
"This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come,
of the covenant between me and you
and every living creature with you:
I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign
of the covenant between me and the earth.
When I bring clouds over the earth,
and the bow appears in the clouds,
I will recall the covenant I have made
between me and you and all living beings,
so that the waters shall never again become a flood
to destroy all mortal beings."' (Gn 9:8-15)

As I'm standing in the middle of nowhere in the spiritual desert of Lent, encompassed by the powerful presence of God's Spirit and assaulted by torments and hurricanes of the Evil One, I draw immense consolation from this reading. "Never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood"... 

Whenever I see a rainbow in Kiabakari, and it happens quite often during rainy seasons, I recall the message of this reading and thank God that He is my Father and not a merciless destroyer who impatiently annihilates insubordinate works of His hands... 

And now, in this sacred time of Lent, He sends out His Spirit to fill me with Divine Light and empower me to win the battle that rages on in my entire life and will only stop with my last breath... 

The words of Saint Paul to Timothy come to mind with force:  "I charge (you) before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession, to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal power. Amen." (1 Tim 6:13-16)