Blessing under the rainbow
A nuchtern school forecourt, tarred and very sunny – and still a place full of magic and colors. Steinwiesen elementary school celebrated an unusual outdoor service at the end of the school year.
Religious education teacher fabian schramm, together with teacher martina wachter, addressed the children, their worries and fears. Because of the corona restrictions in two parts, half the school on wednesday, the others on thursday. Like in a theater, the children sit on their chairs in a semicircle around a colorful round cloth that shines in the colors of the rainbow. In addition, a cloth, also painted with a rainbow, flutters in the wind.
The rainbow is also the central theme of this ceremony, showing the unity of god and mankind. It is a sign of friendship and hope, of the colorfulness of the world, which god has arranged in the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet in the rainbow, so to speak.
How topical the theme of the rainbow is today is shown by the comparison with the bible story of noah, who built an ark, trusting only in god. People have always been afraid of catastrophes, floods, epidemics, etc. The story of noah is therefore an "encouragement", because it shows that everything can be overcome. Noah listened to god, built the ark, brought in the animals and took on the hardships of the wild journey in the hope that all would be well. The people and the animals were close together, no one could escape or get out.
Fabian schramm addressed the parallels to the current situation in corona times. For a long time they were close at home and could not simply break away. To get along, to understand each other and to hope, this is also relevant in today’s time.
Rain is followed by sunshine
Even in the times of corona, people do not know what will happen next. If the world stays the way it is, a lot will change and what is still to come for each individual.? But also here the symbol of the rainbow stands above all and shows that after rain follows sun, after fear joy and after hate love. Even today it still stands as an "encourager in the sky.
The fourth-grade students presented a request for a furbitten, in which they referred to the different colors of the rainbow, which also play a major role in life.
For the fourth graders the lessons in the elementary school steinwiesen end on this day. They will now visit different schools in kronach. Fabian schramm had prepared a special blessing for them. Together they held the colorful cloth high and each individual stepped into the middle and received their very own blessing. The religion teacher had prepared a small gift for the farewell ceremony. They all received an "emergency box", so that the further path of life will be blessed by god and with the help of god will be good. In the small box there was a heart as a symbol for the people who accompany the children on their way through life. A lucky stone to remember the good times at the elementary school in steinwiesen, something subes, a plaster for the wounds that will surely come with time, and a rainbow card with the blessing: "god grant you always a ray of sunshine to warm you, a portion of happiness to surround you, an angel to protect you, laughter and kindness, faithful friends and, if you pray, a heaven to lift you up…"."