Remembering is an essential part of the human condition. The philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Through technology, humanity is creating nearly 50 billion GB of data a day. At most, the Bible as written is 10 megabytes. This means that if the bible is rewritten everyday, it is only .00001 of the data made in a day. It is quite easy to see that it takes effort to keep the Bible from drowning in the mass amount of data created everyday.
In the early days, when humankind was still relatively simple there was still a barrier between humanity and God. Through poor judgement and pride, humanity had separated itself from God.
As a result, humankind received punishment…the flood. While there are many arguments regarding the depth and extent of the flood, the truth that a majority of religions around the world have a flood story. There is something there that cannot be ignored. A story that is almost universal even today, and yet to many it is exactly that. A story.
Story is what binds humanity together. Story helps humanity know who it is, where it has been, and were it is going. So, why does God need to remember? After Noah, God set the rainbow to remember, or did he? Sometimes a parent has to say something like, “I’m doing this for me,” so that their children will remember. That is what God is doing here.
Think of the rain as sin. As it continues, it soaks us to the bone. It gets inside of us. Then the sun comes out and dries the rain. In the midst of change from soaked with sin the Son comes to warmth us. The beauty/sign of that change is the rainbow.
Another way to tell the same story. The flood was the result of the mass of sin that humanity had committed. The rescue of Noah and the promise of the rainbow are the salvation and restoration of us all.
Remembrance is power. Remembrance is identity.
- 1) What family stories do you tell, share, or repeat? What do they tell you about your family and your identity?
- 2) Our salvation stories can differ from person to person. Each is unique. Do you remember your story? Tell it to someone.
- 3) In an attempt to share the story, we sometimes focus on the wrong parts. What elements of the story do you think of? How do they expand or limit the story?
- FD) What is/was you favorite bedtime story? Why?
