As a painter and art lover, I am fascinated by rainbows. God has spoken to me many times through rainbows, even double rainbows, assuring His love and covenant with me and all His children.
However, when I post a picture of a rainbow, which I have done in the past, I am either shunned by Christians who think I am supporting an ungodly lifestyle or welcomed by those who embrace a worldly rainbow lifestyle. Either way, my love and appreciation for God’s rainbow are often distorted and misunderstood.
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The rainbow, a breathtaking arc of colors painted across the sky after a storm, has always held deep significance for Christians. It is a symbol of God’s covenant with mankind, a promise made to Noah and his descendants that never again would a flood destroy the earth. This promise, found in Genesis 9:13-16, speaks of God’s mercy and His enduring faithfulness:
“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.”
However, in recent years, the rainbow has been adopted as a symbol for the LGBTQIA+ community, representing pride, diversity, and the struggle for equality. This shift has stirred a mix of emotions among Christians, leading to responses that range from acceptance and support to rejection and condemnation.
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Why pride? Many in the LGBTQIA+ community have faced immense shame, rejection, and persecution. Pride, in this context, is not about arrogance but about reclaiming dignity and asserting the worth of individuals who have been marginalized. It is a response to a history of shaming and mistreatment — a way of saying, “We are here, and we deserve to be seen and loved just as we are.”
As Christians, we must reflect deeply on our role in this narrative. The church, which should be a beacon of Christ’s unconditional love, has often failed to live up to this calling. Too many times, Christians have behaved and spoken in ways that are anything but Christ-like, contributing to the very shame and alienation that Pride stands against.
I am deeply sorry for the way many Christians have behaved. We have failed to show the true, unconditional love of Jesus Christ. The church has sometimes been ugly, behaved ugly, and spoken ugly. This is not the gospel; this is not the love of Christ that we are called to embody.
During my many years of ministry, I was able to win many people to Christ, especially from the communities of gender confusion, through the unconditional love of Christ, which also entails telling the truth of God with love. I studied, went through training, and engaged in conversations in many settings to understand the pain and struggles many people face in their journey of finding their true identity. Yes, the bottom line is a person’s discovery of the gender identity that God has chosen for them and feeling confident in that identity under their skin. Unless we understand the root of the issues, we will always be fighting in the flesh with surface appearances. However, the subject matter has deeper roots of pain, suffering, trauma, and struggles. Being hateful, shaming, and condemning only increases the problems instead of helping and being a bridge to the true solution giver, Jesus Christ.
We have invited to our church and our home many precious and beautiful people from the gay lifestyle. We hosted them in our home and poured the love of Christ on them instead of hitting them with the Bible and shaming them. The results were incredibly impactful and life-changing. We have seen over time how people recognize true and pure love and respond to God’s unconditional love. I believe as the Bride of Christ we are missing out on the joy and fulfillment of experiencing giving love without compromising our values and grieving the heart of God. But when we hate, condemn, and shame, we do grieve His heart.
On the other hand, speaking the truth in love has always been our mandate. This does not mean condemning or shaming others, but rather, sharing the hope and transformation that comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ. There needs to be a balance — a sincere commitment to the call of Jesus Christ to make disciples, which involves both truth and love.
We must strive to be a church that embodies this balance. We must repent for the times we have failed to show the unconditional love of Jesus Christ. This means engaging with others in a way that is compassionate, respectful, and grace-filled. It means listening to the stories and struggles of the LGBTQIA+ community with open hearts and minds, acknowledging their pain, and standing against the injustices they face.
It also means being faithful to the truth of the gospel without compromising the standards of God — not condemning and shaming, but inviting others into a transformative relationship with Jesus. Our message should always be one of hope, healing, and redemption — a message that everyone is deeply loved by God and invited into His family.
From the bottom of my heart, I urge my fellow Christians to reflect on our actions and attitudes. Let us be known for our love, for our willingness to stand up for the truth of the gospel, and for our commitment to it. Let the rainbow remind us of God’s enduring promise and His call for us to be instruments of His peace and love in the world. Let’s never lose our rainbow inside of us, which is the most beautiful love covenant we have with our Lord.
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Işık Abla Ministries (IAM) is a global beacon of hope and empowerment led by visionary founder, President, and CEO Işık Abla. As a Muslim believer, she is uniquely positioned, knowing the culture, language, and social norms, to authentically and relationally share the good news of Jesus Christ with Muslims. Today, Işık’s programs are broadcast in multiple languages in over 200 countries on six continents and are available to more than 700 million people.
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