Noah and the Dubious Rainbow Lizards

Although this post's title may sound like the name of an alt-punk band whose latest album I'm reviewing...it isn't.  Fear not, this post very well may be more colorful than that (in a certain way)...maybe...

During the translation check of Genesis in Bhogoto, we came to Genesis 9:13-15; in this passage, God makes a promise to Noah after he has left the ark and made sacrifice:

“I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.  Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.”

After checking these verses for accuracy and naturalness, we also briefly discussed what they mean for us today: namely, that God is not going to repeatedly wipe out the world in spite of humanity’s ongoing sinfulness.  One great way that God shows his love and mercy continually to a rebellious creation is that he doesn't give us what we deserve in the form of judicial execution. God loves the world. Evidence? It's continuing to breath.  It was a meaningful discussion.

 Afterwards, curious how rainbows are understood by the Bhogoto people, I asked, “By the way, what do the Bhogoto believe about rainbows?  For example, where do they come from?  What do they mean?”

My good friend who served as a pastor before becoming a Bible translator, replied, “Well, we believe a rainbow is the kada (a local, multicolored lizard) who shines his colors out for all to see.  And if you see the lizard who is making the rainbow from himself, he will chase you, and if he bites you then you will die.”

He then related a story about when he traveled to the neighboring country and was walking down the road, when suddenly a passerby pointed up at the sky in terror and said to him, “Quick, run!  He’ll soon be after us!” The man was pointing at a rainbow, and my friend starting running for his life with this man to escape from the unseen pursuer.  My friend then told me that he wasn’t sure if they believed the same thing or not about rainbows, but it must have been similar.

Outwardly, I calmly said, “Interesting! I didn’t know about that.”  But inwardly, I was sad to think of my noble, wise and godly pastor friend running for his life from a measly lizard that was neither chasing him nor able to kill him.

Afterwards, when we had eaten lunch, I found a time when I was alone with my friend and asked him, “After we’ve read in Genesis what rainbows are really about, what do you think about the Bhogoto belief of rainbows?”

His response was as wise as my friend usually is. “Well,” he said, “really the Genesis account shows that our belief is not true.  It’s not about death, but about God’s grace every day for all people.”

We went on and both recounted examples of how the stories and beliefs from our ancestors (both American and Bhogoto) had to be compared to what the Bible says, because not everything we grew up hearing is the truth.

It’s always a joy to see that, as Christians, no matter how different our belief systems are, we can see the power of God’s word challenging and transforming the deep stories that we hold so true.