Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Maybe it’s just me but I found this story fascinating:

After spending the week away on vacation enjoying my family I’m back to the daily grind.

While I was away one of the stories that I found fascinating was the news and images of Pope Benedict XVI at Auschwitz. Just the story of the new Pope visiting this sad place was enough to move anyone but the image that followed was enough to affirm my belief in God.

As the Pope finished his prayer, with the timing that a movie couldn’t have reproduced any better, a rainbow appeared in the background. Now the news media covered the story and showed the photos but their reaction was more of a “isn’t that cool” as if they were driving along a highway and saw the same thing.

For me that rainbow meant much more and is not a mere coincidence for two reasons. First the statistical odds of a rainbow appearing at that exact moment in time during that specific event as the pope is finishing his prayer is almost impossible to calculate.

Second is the symbolism of the rainbow itself. If we recall the teaching of the book of Genesis in the Old Testament we remember God’s covenant with Noah and the importance of the rainbow as a symbol between God and man.

Genesis 9

13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

Many people might not care. I just find that in an age where the existence of God continuously comes under attack by those on the left it’s nice to have moments like this where you can stop, make the connection and have faith that maybe that statistically improbable rainbow was God letting us know he was listening and heard those that were there praying.