Somewhere under the rainbow.

by John Stallings

It seems almost impossible to me that Judy Garland first sang the song “Somewhere over the rainbow” in the film “The Wizard of Oz” when I was just a few months old. I didn’t see it until I was in my thirties. I like the song for the same reasons I like the Elvis song “If I can dream.” I was never very much impressed with Elvis until we visited Graceland in 1989 & at the little theater across the street they had a movie presentation of some highlights of his career entitled “If I can dream.” Old Elvis was dressed in a white suit & when I heard that song I understood something of the magic he exuded onstage & why he was so popular. Too bad it ended the way it did & when it did. All that wasted talent coupled with Elvis’s lost- ness has the making of quiet a tragedy. I trust Elvis didn’t land in hell but its obvious drugs turned his last years into a living version of hell. But I digress.

Getting back to Judy & “Over the rainbow,” I’m using her song as a segway to the idea that even more beautiful than the fantasy that wonderful things could exist –somewhere over the rainbow—we have a real guarantee from God that we can all exist Under the rainbow & be kept in His divine protection.

After the flood that swept away all but eight of the human race & two of the birds, the livestock, & all the wild animals, God made a promise to Noah & his sons. “No more wipe-outs like this one. And as a reminder I’m hanging my “war-bow” up in the heavens. Never again will I allow water to destroy all life on earth. The covenant is unconditional & it’s given with nothing from Noah; its Unilateral disarmament. The covenant is perpetual & universal.” What an incredible example of God’s grace this is. And God makes the wonderful promise knowing all the time that man will continue to be wicked. Yes, indeed, we have God’s Word that He’s not going to get mad again & drown us all like a bunch of wet turkeys.

I take this story literally as I do all of Bible except where it’s obvious that simile or metaphor is used. We might want to keep in mind that when a parable, simile or metaphor is used, it’s in all probability a milder form of the reality that lies behind it, such as using fire & brimstone to describe hell. A person may say the word fire is just a symbolic word, but pray tell how do you explain away the brimstone?

Over & over in scripture we have God giving second chances. Like when Adam & Eve sinned God gave them clothes & sent them on their way to begin again. Like Cain who’d killed his brother Able was given a second chance, when God could have wiped him out too. Then God started over with a seventy-five year old man whom he gave his covenant & promised him a land of his own. Like God brought Israel out of Egypt, freed them from bondage giving them the Promised Land. Then in the fullness of time God sent His son to die for our race & promised us eternal life through our faith in Him.

Over & over God has kept His promise to keep working with man. When I hear the words Judy Garland sang a generation ago, I think I understand her dream. “Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, birds fly over the rainbow, why then oh why can’t I?” I know the feeling. But as much as I might understand her sentiment, & as appealing as that magical ride might be, God has made us all a much better promise; A promise that we can live very comfortable UNDER HIS RAINBOW, which hovers like a divine punctuation mark behind every storm.

When we are worn out by abuse... We are still under His rainbow.
When the enemy comes in like a flood…We are under His rainbow.
When grief drops over us like a net—we are under His rainbow.
When we feel we’re about to drown in loneliness... We’re under His rainbow.
When stress seems to stifle us... We’re under His rainbow.

At the age of sixteen I had my first song published. It was entitled “Rainbow of love.” I believe the sheet music is still available at The Gospel publishing house, Springfield, Missouri.

Let me share one verse & the chorus;

There were rain clouds above me, and a storm down inside,
My tears fell unendingly, tears I wanted to hide,
Then I cried out for mercy, & I looked up above,
There in place of a cloudy sky, was a rainbow of love.

Yes God placed a rainbow, a rainbow up above,
He placed it there for you & me to see,
So we’d know that His love would last,
Always shine up above, and in place of a cloudy sky,
There’d be a rainbow of love.

God’s message to Noah is a message we can all take refuge in. No matter what happens,

KEEP LOOKING UP FOR THAT RAINBOW.

John