Theme for week 2 – Peace

Questions for reflections

1. Peace After Chaos — What Does God’s Promise Mean Today?

Simon de Myle’s painting shows the violent storm and desperate struggle around the ark. In Genesis, the flood ends with God’s covenant of peace symbolised by the rainbow.

Discussion question:

How does the contrast between chaos and the rainbow of promise help us understand the kind of peace God offers, not the absence of trouble, but hope and faithfulness in the midst of it?

2. Who or What Is Our Ark?

In the painting, Noah, his family, and the animals are sheltered within the ark while destruction surrounds them.

Discussion question:

In today’s world of conflict, anxiety, and uncertainty, what does “the ark” represent for us? Where do we find God’s peace and safety, personally, spiritually, or within our community?

3. Peace as a Calling, Not Just a Gift

Once the flood ends, Noah is sent out to rebuild, restore, and live differently in God’s renewed creation.

Discussion question:

How does the story, and Simon de Myle’s dramatic depiction, challenge us not just to receive God’s peace, but to become peacemakers in a fractured world? What practical steps can we take?