Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“At the end of forty days, Noah opened the window on the ark he had made and sent out the raven.”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, September 11, 2022
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: Despite humanity’s wickedness, God’s love is limitless.
It can be easy to remember this story of Noah as a telling of an angry God who destroyed all things and then promised never to do it again. But on second look, there’s much more to this story.
The story begins with the wickedness of humankind. People behaved reprehensibly; God had to respond. Remember, now, God’s relationship with humanity was only a couple generations old, so they’re barely past the honeymoon. God’s first reaction was sorrow and regret at what God had done, and God’s second reaction was to destroy every living thing above the water.
But then God recognized Noah and his righteousness and decided Noah would be worth sparing. And on second thought, maybe Noah’s family too. Oh, and the animals and creeping things. And birds. And the plants that can be used for food.
Despite God’s regret at the actions of humanity, God still couldn’t commit to destroy all that God had made. God loved God’s creation and found enough within Noah to rethink the plan. God would spare enough to start again. Not an ending, but a new beginning. God made with all creation a covenant and marked the occasion with a bow in the sky.
Not surprisingly, humanity continued its wickedness. Over the centuries, God created and re-created covenants with people, and people broke those covenants again and again. People still do.
In the US, today we are remembering the twenty-first anniversary of 9/11. The event is a stark reminder that humanity continues its wickedness, even now. Today we remember the wickedness that came upon us at the hands of our enemies. Tomorrow we may
need to reckon with the wickedness that comes upon others at our own hand. All of us are guilty and worthy of the destruction God had planned for the people in Noah’s time. But all of us are spared by the goodness, patience, and forgiveness of a loving God who is capable of seeing beyond our wickedness. Despite humanity’s limitations, God’s love is limitless.
