Meditation on the covenant sign of life

Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth.

Then God spoke to Noah, saying, "Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you: birds and cattle and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth."

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma.

Then the LORD said in His heart, "I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease."

And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying: “Behold! I establish my covenant with you and with your seed after you, and with every living creature that is with you -- of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you, from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.”

And God said, “This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a storm over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud -- and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.”

And God said unto Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.”

Meditation of spirit

I see the descended dove,
Leaf in her mouth:
Above storm, night and fire,
Dove of starlight, dove of life.

Yet I see the darkness, sign of storm,
And I tremble.
So from my altar lifts this smoke:
My sacrifice, prayer, request.

Favor, my God!
Life, my God!
For love, my God!
Your promise, my God!

The heavens are silent:
Darkness, brooding clouds,
Grey, scudding storm --
Smoke, blood, and silence…

I wait, head bowed…
Silence. Darkness. Night.
Then heavens are rent
With crashing, dancing light!

Lord God, what is this?
Sign of favor, sign of life!
Fire in the clouds:
Transcendent hope!

I hold Eternal hand
And the storm passes by --
But with a blessing!
Holy sign, heavenly Light.

Here on wings of storm,
Mystic peace!
In face of wrath, mercy;
In judgment, favor…

Mercy and truth,
Have met together,
Righteousness and peace
Have kissed each other!

I sing again: Holy sign,
Heavenly dove --
Your heavens are opened
And I dance, for love!

The sign is in the clouds,
The storm carries favor:
The covenant is mine
Throughout all generations!

Alleluia!
Alleluia!
Alleluia!

Amen!