I was tempted to do a re-telling of the story in a different context, just for fun. But instead, kept it to being inspired just by the narrative in Genesis. It fascinates me that all over the world, different cultures tell a story of how a universal cataclysm took place in the past. Some archaeologists speculate that Noah’s story goes back to the Younger Dryas event. It’s an interesting thought, but beyond the scope of someone like me just using the story devotionally to explore who God is through the medium of song.
In the first song of the playlist I’ve curated, the focus is on the people of Noah’s age. They’re not bad. They just have no place for the divine. No sense of wonder. No connection to an authentic expression of spiritual reality.
That’s why they miss the signs. That’s what makes Noah and his family stand out. By the time we get to the third song, we see God’s hand in two tangible ways. The animals arrive, and once they’re all safe inside. God seals the door. He takes responsibility for what happens next.
If it had been me, hearing my neighbours banging on the ark’s door, pleading to be allowed in, I would have found it impossible to say no. Despite the idiocy of such a move, insufficient supplies being the most immediate obstacle. That’s why there’s a recurring echo of the enormity of what has taken place in the suite.
It’s a story full of symbolism. The raven and the dove, the rainbow. All could be explored in more depth, but surely that’s the whole point of these little songs? To awaken that spark of curiosity, to get you digging and praying in order to deepen your relationship with your Creator.