RECLAIMING THE RAINBOW

I want to make a case with this blog for reclamation. I want to challenge you, us, we, the Christian, Christ-honoring, Christ-following community of believers, the Body and the Bride of Christ to stand up for a time-honored, commonly recognized symbol. While I know I am not the first to suggest this, I want to make my case for reclaiming the rainbow.

Quick, without thinking too much about it, when you think about the rainbow what is your immediate association?

1) A wonderfully sweet, multicolored candy called Skittles (You know, “Taste the rainbow!”)

2) A covenant promise from God that He would never flood the earth with water again

3) The symbol of the LGBT movement

4) An upscale vacuum cleaner

Some of the answers above will be conditioned by the generation. Some by your affiliation with a church that actually teaches Bible stories. For a few, the thought of a vacuum cleaner came to mind.   And let’s be honest. Some of your answers were conditioned by your affection for candy.

But I will further press my point by asking this. If I flew a rainbow flag in our church sanctuary Sunday morning, how many of us would immediately think “the Pastor is going to preach on God’s covenant promises?” And how many would think, “Is our church supporting the homosexual agenda now?”

Many in our culture today look at the rainbow in a totally different light — as a representation of gay pride. First used in a parade in Northern California, artist Gilbert Baker created the first “rainbow flag” as a visible symbol for the LGBT community in 1978. Then when the Supreme Court issued its pivotal ruling this summer, the White House that night was bathed in multi-colored striped lighting to depict…a rainbow.

It struck me the other day as I was driving back from Orlando following a thunderstorm and there, streaking across the sky in all its glory was a double rainbow. Pam immediately got her phone and took a picture. Apparently the same thing had happened in Alabama, because our daughter Allison posted a rainbow picture she had just taken on her Facebook page.

Then it hit me. The LGBT community doesn’t own the rainbow. God does. Now if you know me, you know that, as an American, I believe in and will fight to protect the human rights of any person in America to be a practicing homosexual, and as a person I am obliged to be socially tolerant of and kind to any who may be so inclined….(and we in the Christian community need to work on our kindness toward those with whom we disagree). However, I do not have to acknowledge or believe that such a lifestyle is moral or right, no matter what our culture or any court says, nor will I be silent in what I believe.

And I want my rainbow back.