Raised under a strict Christian upbringing, there’s one little song that my mum taught me as a little girl. Moving to Australia not too long after, I was able to sing the English version of it too.
The melody was pure and the lyrics simple:
Who made the beautiful rainbow?
I know, I know.
God made the beautiful rainbow,
That’s why I love Him so.
Last year, I took great pride in teaching it to the twinions, feeling like I had passed something on to the next generation, kinda thing.
This past weekend, as I watched my Facebook feed light up with rainbow colours, that song came back to my mind and how this time, it had a whole brand new and exciting meaning.
I wish every Christian fundamentalist who was against marriage equality could see beyond the black and white of what depicts a “Christian marriage” – a sanctimonious right exclusively between a man and a woman.
I also wish people would look back at history and see that marriage came into existence long before it was a Christian concept. That in fact, for centuries prior to Christianity, marriage was a business transaction; it was a symbol of social status.
It was a way to make sure the assets you and your family had – livestock, dowries, housing – would safely and rightfully stay put.
As a Christian who truly believes that God is about love, I don’t think marriage is about gender. If it was, then it’s only based on human interpretation.
No doubt that last sentence will upset a lot of Christians. So be it.
What is consistent and stated with complete clarity is that God is also about complete and unconditional acceptance; that He created all men (and women) equal.
That He also created the beautiful rainbow with equality; with the same freedom and right to love.
Joining Essentially Jess for #IBOT
*applause*
I’m not a christian and even I know it’s meant to be about love and not gender. I hate that christians are banging on about it like they own marriage yet have no apparent issue with atheists and civil ceremonies?
I agree with every word you said Grace! Here, here! I had never heard that rainbow song before. So glad I have now – it’s simple but beautiful! 🙂
Min@WriteoftheMiddle recently posted..Taking Stock – June 2015
Grace, thank you so much for this wonderful, beautiful post. The Christianity I grew up with was full of love and tolerance for differences. Not some of the so-called Christianity that has been doing the rounds recently among a small minority. #TeamIBOT
Very thoughtful, Grace. I also have an issue with people confusing a legal concept of marriage with a religious one. I would like people to accept that everyone in our country should be treated equally without it having to be a religious thing. It just makes no sense to me. x
I couldn’t have said it better myself. P.S I LOVE rainbows!
well-said. Denyse x PS rainbows are the most beautiful and elusive phenomenon and I love that they seem to appear just when we need to see and take in natural beauty.
I love this post so hard. Love is love, no matter whatever your gender and/or sexuality. We all have the right to love, it’s only fair that we should all have the freedom to marry. I didn’t marry for religion, I married for love. We’re all equal under that rainbow, I only hope we’ll all be equal under the law too.
God made the rainbow as a symbol of his unequivocal love and compassion for humanity. I’m reminded of that every time I see it. 🙂
EssentiallyJess recently posted..Happy Social Media Day #IBOT
Beautiful post Grace – so eloquently put x
Totally agree – the time has come to embrace equality and move on..
Vey well said, G. Rainbows for everyone! x
I love you Mama G!
Beautifully put Grace…and I love the rainbow song you’ve shared. It’s sad that people don’t see this as love. Who cares about gender when two consenting adults are involved? Sigh.
Sanch @ Living my Imperfect Life recently posted..The month that was June 2015
Good post.
I dreamed of a quadruple rainbow last night. That has to have some good portent doesn’t it? Sigh, it was a week. I was shocked that anyone could think that it was ok, and not offensive to call someone’s biological imperative “unnatural, and a sin”, but it’s ok, because “love the sinner, hate the sin”. Hello! Not ok!
Beautiful and so eloquent. 🙂
Perfectly put!
Nicole @ The Builders Wife recently posted..Entry Styling-Inspired Space
Grace, you are beautifully named. I note your comment about marriage being a late Christian concept. I think if you have time between twin care and family tasks, you will find in Genesis 2:18-25 that God instituted the two becoming one, male and female uniting, way back at the time of creation. You’ve now created your own little people who will one day want to know more about where did we come from and how were we made. And about the love that brought you all together as a family.
Truth is that God blessed this union in Eden, and the participants chose to mess it up. Nothing has changed in the interim.
We make choices every day and try to explain them away when when the hurting begins and the loving ends.
Hold your family near Grace, and pray your way through the tough days. May rainbows hover over you, together with their promise.