Reflection for COP28 with thanks to the Jesuits

When we see a rainbow, it is difficult not to be surprised by its beauty and promise. Though we know the scientific explanation, that does not take away the sense that it is a gift, and, for a moment, the earth can both delight and reassure us. Of course, in the Judaeo-Christian tradition, the rainbow appears after the great flood; God’s sign that the earth is secure again.

Many world religions have stories of a devastating flood that cleanses the earth and punishes the humanity that abuses it. One of the oldest is the Epic of Gilgamesh. There are also versions in Hinduism, and one can find such stories in the religions of many native peoples. 

The story in Genesis (chapters 6-9) tells of a time when people misused the gifts of God’s creation, behaving as if ‘they’ were gods. They, too, were oblivious to all the warning signs. Reading the story, we have a sense that they thought time could be manufactured and that they were beyond accountability. God destroys their illusions and the earth they had polluted and He even comes to regret the creation that had once been the source of His delight (6:7).