Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”
Genesis 9:8-10, 16 NRSV
TED is a known for its short, pithy talks. This nonpartisan, nonprofit organization thrives by encouraging people from all walks of life to spread their ideas through TedTalks. In 2017, Pope Francis was invited to speak to a TED audience and said, “First and foremost, I would love it if this meeting could help to remind us that we all need each other, none of us is an island, an autonomous and independent... We can only build the future by standing together, including everyone…. Even science points to an understanding of reality as a place where every element connects and interacts with everything else.” What a wonderful reminder that we need each other and that God has our back.
We all know the story of Noah. He built an ark and took every kind of animal and plant aboard. A flood of water came on the Earth–a purging baptism. Only Noah, his family and the living things on the Ark survived. God gave a rainbow as a reminder of His pledge.
Noah endured the 40 days of rain, ten months it took the water to recede and the months it took the earth to dry. He weathered the storm. When we go through difficult times, when we feel we are being tested, if we hold on to our trust in God, we will see the full effect of God’s grace, mercy and love.
Yet as Pope Francis says, we also need each other. Does this sound like the trials you have experience during the pandemic?
Remember, a rainbow is born of rain and sunshine. Life is often a combination of rain and sunshine. Together, they make something beautiful. As Pope Francis says, “None of us is an island,” and God has promised that He will walk with all of us. We need to trust in ourselves, we need to trust those around us and, most importantly, we need to trust in God.
