Rainbows have always fascinated me. Every color is different. Every color occupies its own space. Every color brings something unique to the spectrum. Yet none of them compete with one another. None of them try to erase the others, and together, they create something far more beautiful than any single color could alone. 

When sunlight passes through a prism it reveals that the colors were there all along. That’s all a rainbow has ever been, visible proof that light contains more than we can see at first glance. 

Paul Avellino

God said, “This is the symbol of the covenant that I am drawing up between me and you and every living thing with you, on behalf of every future generation. 

Genesis 9:12 (CEB)

As someone who tries to garden, I follow other gardeners on social media for support and creative ideas. One of my favorites is Paul Avellino of Avellino farms. He has affirmed my belief that all gardening is an experiment and each year you learn something new. Mr. Avellino and I also share a philosophy that connects our need for food to the need to reciprocate with creation and cultivate the soil in a way that nourishes all creatures including all of humanity. 

I recently discovered a social media post by Paul that spoke of rainbows.  The post began with the quote above. I believe it was Middle School science that taught me about light and how refracting light through a prism projects rainbows for us to see.  I had seen rainbows after storms, but didn’t understand the science until we had prisms set at our lab tables. I was today years old when I learned that liquids, transparent solids, or even gases can act as prisms. It seems anything that light can pass through, if angled correctly can create a rainbow for our eyes.

Later in his post Mr. Avellino points out that the refraction doesn’t add new colors to light, the colors are already there. This lines up with the science I was taught that white light contains the combination of all colors. What some would describe as ‘pure light’ could be a light that exists through diversity.

What if we embraced the teachings of nature? How might we all see each other differently?  Would we feel as divided as we do right now? If God is the source of pure light and we are all created in the image of God, is it possible that God’s light refracts through us and that is what makes each of us unique? Are our colors individual reflections of God in this world?

My daughters used to ask those questions that kids ask.  What is your favorite (fill in the blank)? They always made fun of me because when they asked, “What is your favorite color?” my response was, “All of them!” My point was, is there a piece of fine art that could be made better if the artist had only one color to paint with? Even with only one color other shades would need to be added to make anything visible.

Throughout the year, we set aside months to recognize and celebrate the diverse communities among us. June is no different as we honor our LGBTQAI+ friends and neighbors. And, my experience tells me that the people of Broadway UMC don't stop loving anyone when the month ends.

Peace,
Teresa