Rainbow Wars
My kids were big fans of the Noah’s Ark story. A mobile hung over their crib, with cute animals, a bearded man, and, of course, a rainbow. A hand-hooked rug with similar images covered the hardwood floors of our nursery where my children learned to roll over, crawl, and eventually take their first steps.
The real Noah’s Ark, however, is a frightening story, full of death and destruction from an angry god. It is also a story about parenting. First, humans mess up big time. Then, God the Father loses His temper and really lets them have it. Not in a “make better choices” kind of way, more like in the “I wish I never had you” kind of way. Thank God that human parents don’t have access to God’s wrath.
Fortunately, most children’s stories tread lightly on the angry God part. Instead, they feature all the animals marching onto the boat two by two, the long ride over the ocean, and ultimately, the going forth and multiplying happy ending. The best part, of course, is the end of the storm when God promises to do better next time and sends a rainbow as “the sign of the covenant which I make between myself and all that lives on earth.”
Too bad that message of love and second chances got lost last month in the heated rainbow wars. There could be a lot to unpack in the Major League Baseball controversy, but it’s not worth the time. Basically, some grown men took Sharpies and drew on their new hats, and the league told them to knock it off. It’s not the first time MLB players have defaced their uniforms with unsanctioned, personal messages. The response to this latest incident was consistent with previous violations. According to MLB chief communications officer Pat Courtney, “We have given the same warning numerous times in the past to players for messages such as ‘Dad’, ‘Happy Mother’s Day,’ ’I Love Mom,’ and names of family members.”
If only that was the end of the story. Somewhere along the line, this manufactured turf battle sparked a Florida AG investigation, a DOJ probe, a VP tweet, and a Senate inquiry demanding five years of uniform violation records. Who benefits from keeping the story angry and unresolved? Certainly not the players who want to play ball or the fans who want to watch them. I caught wind of the ordeal on a friend’s Facebook message celebrating that finally somebody was “reclaiming God’s symbol.”
Without an accompanying photo or text, I thought maybe the players were wearing crosses on their uniforms. Then, when I heard that the players had referenced a Bible verse on their rainbow-clad caps, I assumed it was the well-worn one from Leviticus. The one where God warns against homosexuality along with all the other evils of the day: eating lobster rolls, wearing plaids with stripes, and cutting your hair. I’m sick of the Leviticus argument and was gearing up for righteous rage. Then I looked up the offending verse: Genesis 9. Really? That’s God’s apology scene at the end of the Noah’s Ark story, the one where he sends the rainbow as a covenant to (say it with me) all that lives. Let me get this straight. The sharpie-wielding players are taking back God’s symbol of unconditional love from someone who had taken it from them? And just who are these rainbow-stealers? According to the cap-marker-uppers, they needed to reclaim the rainbow from those miscreants who use a flag of many colors to celebrate that they, too, are part of God’s loving covenant.
I may be stoking the flames by bringing it up, but come on, folks. We can do better. If we take out the politics and the internet trolls, there is more to agree on than not in this story. None of us has an exclusive claim to a symbol of universal love, tolerance, and forgiveness. So enough of the claiming and reclaiming. If you can’t see the irony in the fight, maybe you can find hope in another rainbow message. Let’s be done with the rainbow wars, and join the lovers, the dreamers, and Kermit to make some rainbow connections.
