God's covenant with Noah and all creation is grounded in a unilateral promise: a commitment to never again destroy the earth with a flood. Through the symbol of the rainbow, God demonstrates vulnerability and a willingness to risk all for love.
Love demands sacrifices and risks, whether it's enduring sleepless nights for a sick child or intervening in a friend's destructive behavior. Just as God takes risks in his covenant with humanity, humans are called to sacrificial love, dying to themselves daily in the flood-like waters of baptism.