One day, a small child said to her grandmother: “I love Jesus, but I don’t like his father.” She went on to explain, “Because he was the one who drowned everyone.” She had just read the story of the flood in Sunday School. The story of the flood is troubling. God creates animals and human beings. Then he changes his mind and decides to destroy them. It is not only little girls who are afraid of such a God. But have we read the flood narrative carefully enough? If we forget our prejudices and read it afresh, the text has a number of surprises in store. God lays down his bow in the clouds and the battle is over. Yet God’s restraint is neither a sign of weakness nor indifference, but taut patience. Even laid aside, the rainbow remains tense, its colours radiating the energy of God’s passion.