No Pride #5 - The Rainbow and the Wrath

The rainbow is probably one of the most recognizable symbols of the Pride movement today. It's everywhere—from storefronts to clothing—and it has become a central piece in the cultural catechism of this movement. Symbols matter. They play a crucial role in the creation, transmission, and reinforcement of worldviews.

Symbols are mental shortcuts to greater realities. They are the quickest and most powerful way to evoke meaning, emotion, and allegiance—often in just a glance. Whether it's a flag, a logo, or a gesture, symbols condense complex ideas into immediate, visceral responses.

We are naive if we think the rainbows we see everywhere are meaningless or harmless. Symbols are not neutral. They carry power. And that's why we need to take a closer look at this one in particular.

The rainbow first appears in Scripture in Genesis 9, after the flood. God had just judged the earth for its widespread wickedness. Then, in mercy, He made a covenant with Noah never to flood the earth again, and gave the rainbow as a sign of that promise. The rainbow, then, is not a symbol of man's pride, but of God's patience.

That's what makes its use today by the Pride movement so deeply ironic and sad. A symbol meant to remind us of God's rightful wrath and undeserved mercy has become a flag under which the very sins that provoke His wrath are celebrated. It seems to be an attempt to hijack one of God's symbols and redefine its meaning. But even so, the rainbow still points to hope, not because of what it means to the world, but because of what it means to God.

The rainbow not only points to the story of Noah and the flood but, above all, points to Jesus, the Saviour who bore wrath so that we could receive mercy. His mercy is real. His promises are sure. The rainbow doesn't belong to Pride—it belongs to God. And Christians shouldn't give up on it.

Revelation 4:3 tells us that a rainbow surrounds God's throne. And it's coming the day when every creature in heaven and on earth will bow before Him, confessing the true meaning of this powerful symbol: the King of the Universe is just and gracious.

Nino Marques