WHO OWNS THE RAINBOW?

WHO OWNS THE RAINBOW?
Friday, July 8, 2022 by Leona Choy

We all love spotting a rainbow in the sky. Its beautiful burst of colors is breathtaking, surrounded by an air of mystery as it magically shows up on the horizon at the end of a rainstorm when the sun can't wait to burst out again. I recently received homemade birthday cards from two of my young great-grandchildren. As soon as they experiment with their first box of crayons, children start drawing rainbows. Rainbows bring a smile and light up just about anyone’s mood. I'm sure there were no sexual connotations in the minds of my youthful artists. But I can't guarantee as much about what guided discussion might take place in their classrooms about sex, gender change, and proper pronoun differentiation.

As we know, rainbows are a natural phenomenon and a beautiful optical illusion caused by the reflection of sunlight on water droplets. We can't capture one or even touch it. It hides quickly from our view. Rainbows have also come to symbolize different things throughout history. Some of the most common meanings associated with rainbows are Hope and New Beginnings– appearing after a storm, they signify the end of a bad period and the look towards a new chapter. Promise – In the Bible, Genesis 9:12-16, a rainbow appears after the flood linking to the story of Noah and the Ark. It meant a promise from God that the period of flooding was over and signaling the end of humanity ever being wiped out by flooding. In more recent history it also began to mean Diversity in Sexuality – adopted by LGBTQA+ activists as a symbol of the gay rights movement as well as their pride, defiance, and hope for a better future for their group.

Other cultures used the rainbow colors for Good Luck – Irish legend had it that pots of gold can be found at the end of rainbows. According to the legend, leprechauns hide their gold there and if you happen to come across such gold, you are free to take some for yourself. Equality and Peace – The symbolism comes from the fact that rainbows are made up of multi-colors. While each color is unique and individual, they can work together to create a beautiful whole. Impermanence – Rainbows don’t last long in the sky, This associates them with the brevity of life and its transience, a reminder of seizing the day and making the most of the time you have.

In the Bible, the rainbow is sometimes referred to as “a bow in the clouds” for its shape like a hunting bow. The rainbow appears in the first book, Genesis, and in the last book. In Revelation 4:3, God is described as “He who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.” In Revelation 10:1, “Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun and his legs like pillars of fire. In Ezekiel 1:28, he describes seeing a rainbow as “brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.”

In ancient mythology, rainbows were regarded as a bridge between humans and the gods. In the Norse religion, a burning rainbow bridge was believed to connect the Earth with the home of the gods. In other world myths, people believed that only virtuous people can cross the rainbow bridge to heaven. In Greek mythology, Iris served as a rainbow goddess, a link between humanity and the gods. She was thought to relay messages about war and retribution and carried a winged staff on her journeys. It was said that only gods and those killed in battle could cross over the bridge.

So who really had the exclusive right to use the rainbow symbol? As far back as the German Peasants’ War in the 16th Century, a rainbow was a symbol of the Cooperative movement. Rainbow flags were one of the signs of the revolution. In the 1961 Peace movement in Italy, people held multi-colored flags as they marched down the streets to protest nuclear weapons. During the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, people hung rainbow banners with short inspirational messages.

In more recent days, the rainbow flag has gradually and intentionally become a distinct symbol of the LGBTQA+ community.

While people often associate the different colors with the diversity of the gay community, each color actually represents something. The popularity of the Pride rainbow flag as a symbol of the gay community started when Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the US, was assassinated on November 27, 1978.

Who does the rainbow belong to? In the Norse religion, a burning rainbow bridge connected the Earth with the home of the gods. It is said that only gods and those killed in battle could use the bridge. This is similar to other world myths that believe that only virtuous people can cross the rainbow bridge to heaven. Rainbows were present in Australian Aboriginal mythology where it was believed that humans, animals, and eternal beings like the Rainbow Serpent were present from an infinite period that started with the world’s creation. The serpent was the creator of the world and all living beings.

Rainbow flags have been used in many places over the centuries around social change. They represented the Tawantin Suyu, or Inca territory, mainly in Peru and Bolivia, by some Druze communities in the Middle East, and by the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. The International Order of the Rainbow Girls used the symbol since the early 1920s.

To whom does the rainbow symbol belong? In the 1990s, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and President Nelson Mandela described the newly democratic South Africa as the "rainbow nation," alluding to its diversity and multiculturalism.

Throughout history, many poems and books refer to rainbows and their elusive beauty and symbolism. In Wordsworth’s 1802 classic My Heart Leaps Up, the poet records the joy that the sight of a rainbow brings. In movies, rainbows symbolize a wide variety of themes and emotions. One memorable use of this symbol is in the Wizard of Oz, where the protagonist Dorothy sings Over the Rainbow. imagining a beautiful place where her dreams can finally come true. She is caught up in her search for that elusive utopia.

While rainbows may mean different things in different contexts, to various cultures and segments of society, no one can deny the inspiration and sense of joy that a rainbow brings. As an ever-popular symbol of hope, it will always hold a special place in communities that are looking to foster a sense of unity among its people as well as among individuals who remain hopeful of what the future may bring.

So what's the answer to “Who owns the rainbow and decides on its symbolism and display?”

A childhood game from which I have already drawn some analogies was “Capture the flag.” Historically, many nations and groups have tried to do that with the multi-colored rainbow flag. Because it has been currently absconded by the LGBTQA+ community, which is the most vocal and visible, and in-your-face about it, does not mean that we should meekly surrender the spiritual and biblical meaning of the rainbow and its use as a flag.

Once upon a night, rainbow lighting flooded the facade of the White House. And it may be regularly focused on buildings in New York or other cities. And a month may be designated to promote the beliefs of a minority group. Nevertheless, that doesn't make it exclusive to the LGB-ETC group nor acceptable to the followers of Jesus as Lord, who pledge allegiance to our coming King and His Kingdom and whose flag we proudly fly high.

Wouldn't you conclude that it is still owned by its Creator, the One who declared that it should be remembered in perpetuity for His intended promise and covenant? The rainbow and its original symbolism will always capture our hearts.

Let's intentionally teach our kiddos with their crayons and brushes and innocent hearts and minds that the rainbow and its flag are permanently the property of the Almighty God “who set the bow in the clouds after the rain,” who loves them with pure, everlasting love. And let's admire their artwork for the innocent joy that it is!

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Credit Nina Jay, Chief editor of SymbolSage for some of my historical research. Article titled: Rainbow – Meaning and Symbolism.

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Comments

Kristin Wood From Maryland At 7/9/2022 6:19:48 PM

Beautifully written! I couldn’t agree more with your last sentence!

Kathleen Monge From VA At 7/9/2022 5:01:41 PM

YAY thank you. I used the colors in light by using prisms to assist in teaching at a Faith Community Nurse retreat in 2017. My grandchildren love the colors of the rainbow flashing across my dining room wall when the prism is spinning. The "Emmaus Community" has a song, "De Colores"