Double Rainbow Guy

One of the recent phenomenons on the internet is the double rainbow guy. If you haven’t had a chance to see this yet I would encourage you to do so before continuing to read this article so that in light of viewing this video you can enter more deeply into this reflection.

My first impression while viewing this video on youtube was to think that it was a joke. I thought that his reaction could not be a serious or real one. But as I continued to watch it, I was convinced otherwise.

The video was done by a man who seems to happen upon a large rainbow in his front yard. Upon discovery of this rainbow he notices not only is it a “full on rainbow” (he can see the place in which is originates, the apex and then back down to the ground) but he can also see each of the individual colors within the rainbow with precise clarity. He tries to share this beauty by zooming in with his camera.

At one point he points out that a second rainbow emerges in the clouds. We hear him exclaim “It's a double rainbow!” I sensed, listening to this man, that he is in utter amazement and awe of the sight he is privileged to behold. He also seems to be in disbelief that it is in his front yard. As I listened to the emotion in his voice I became acutely aware of an inner pain and sorrow well up from deep within him and his exclamations of joy and wonder changed to that of disbelief that he was worthy of such a gift of beauty, as if it were a mistake that the rainbow manifested itself to his eyes and not someone more worthy.

I am reminded of the scripture verse “Why am I so honored or favored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me?” Luke 1:43 His next words of “What does it mean?” declare this same question.

How could something so beautiful be in my front yard? What does it mean? Just as he asks this question. Which was really a declaration that he does not believe himself to worthy of such a gift. It is as if God has heard his question and another rainbow is added to the mix. We hear the man gasp “it is almost a triple rainbow!”

As he continued to sob, with both joy and sorrow this simple sight of a rainbow becomes an act of mercy that pours out through the Holy Spirit and is received through this man's senses. The creator speaks to him through His creation. This video led me to a recent memory in which my husband called me from a retreat he attended in Florida called “Return To Glory” by Dr. Bob Schuchts and others. It is a retreat for men to embrace what is means to be created “man” and how to live out that call and gift of the masculine heart.

A unique encounter with a young seminarian evoked a similar reaction as the double rainbow guy in my husband. My husband was asked my this young seminarian give him a blessing. My husband, who was raised Jehovah's Witness and has many wounds from his family life, has never really embraced his Catholic faith as his own and has always felt unworthy of God's love, much less worthy of having anything he could give to another such as a blessing to someone he perceived far “better” or “holier” than himself. The young man convinced my husband otherwise and it had a profound affect on my husbands heart.

My husband called me shortly after this encounter and he sounded very much like the double rainbow man did in his video. My husband was touched to his very core. That the young seminarian demonstrated the belief he was in some way worthy of such an encounter. The idea that his blessing was valuable to anyone was an act of mercy and love that opened my husbands heart to God.

The young seminarian, in asking for a blessing as he knelt in front of my husband shocked my husband because in this simple act, it spoke volumes to him about his own preciousness, God given dignity and value.

This was what the rainbow guy was experiencing. The rainbow was creation bowing before the highest of all creation, which is man, and in doing so brought the creator to him. This revelation of was speaking to the man's heart about his own dignity, value and worthiness. I pray he follows this inspiration to it's natural conclusion. That all of creation aches for the redemption of man and that includes the double rainbow guy and that all of creation reveals the Creator who is God.