• When you see a rainbow

    Here’s the Moment of Reflection that I gave on Radio 2 yesterday.

    There it was in the sky – clear and bright. Arching right over the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday just as gay marriage was being agreed by parliamentarians.

    Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet – a perfect rainbow stretching across the sky.

    It made me smile as rainbows always do because when I see them, I remember singing in Sunday school – “When you see a rainbow, remember God is love”.

    Of course, God doesn’t control the weather – the sun shines on the righteous and the unrighteous and rainbows appear to everyone. But when I see rainbows, I remember several things. Firstly they make me remember that the world is inherently beautiful. Then the many colours remind me of the glorious diversity that is what creation seems to be all about. And then they remind me of love because of that song I used to sing when I was little.

    After this week of storm and flooding, many are suffering. As I’m praying later today in church, I’ll be praying for compassion, comfort, hope and help. Oh yes, and for love. For all who need love most.

    You can hear it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01s0xjn

    (At time of writing, whoever is updating the BBC website seems not to be able to spell “reverend”).

7 responses to “Come out and carry on”

  1. Emlyn Williams Avatar
    Emlyn Williams

    Couldn’t you find a nice mitre to replace the crown? 😉

    1. Kelvin Avatar

      Oh, I didn’t make it.

      And in any case, with the C of E, it is all about the Crown.

      1. Susan Sheppard Hedges Avatar

        Can we share it even over here in the US?

        1. Alan McManus Avatar

          Yes! With an explanatory, ‘The Kingdom of God Needs You (To Come Out)!’ I’m celebrating today by putting my publications on my website, thus nailing my rainbow colours to the mast. Once I’ve had my tea. Living in Glasgow, I won’t have had it.

    2. Fr Steve Avatar

      Sounds like a movie of the 1960’s starring the wonderful (and yet sad) Kenneth Williams!

  2. Dharma Nicodemus Cuthbert Avatar
    Dharma Nicodemus Cuthbert

    Just another day to be forgotten about, by the majority of straight people. Like the 1st of December, I half jokingly asked my rector which colour I should dye my hair on the 1st, pink or purple he immediately said purple. I asked why then he reminded that it was Advent, I had to explain why I had thought of pink. He didn’t know that the 1st of Dec was the world’s hiv/aids day, we both were seeing the day from completely different angels.
    I was surprised that the day wasn’t known to him, he’s not that old.. Anyway way I could experiment and see what happens.

    1. Alan McManus Avatar

      What a lovely thought, that there are different angels dedicated to the celebration of Advent and to the care of people in various states of sickness and health! A felicitous typo.

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