by Christine Sine
I am in the mood for reflecting on the photos I took over the last through weeks. It is a wonderfully reflective and inspiring practice
I took this photo of the sun shining through the clouds from our prayer tower a couple of weeks ago. At first I was really frustrated because I could not get a clear view of it without the interfering cable, telephone and other wires that got in the way. I tried to zoom in but the image became fuzzy and unfocused. I thought of walking to a place where the wires no longer got in the way but I knew that by then the sun would have set.
I thought about doctoring the image on photoshop to get rid of the wires, but that seemed like cheating. These wires represent the infrastructure of our society. They carry electricity, and internet. They give us light and connectivity. They are as much a part of our landscape as the sun and the clouds are. They are there, and they are there to stay.
As I reflected on this I wondered: How often is my view of the sun obstructed by the framework of our society? How often is my view of God obscured by the wires – social media, shopping and other distractions as well as the work I give my time to?
Yes I know the clouds obscure the sun too, but, at least on the day I took the photos, the sun still shone through. The clouds added to the beauty of the sky, they did not detract from it. The wires, on the other hand, seemed ugly and out of place.
It is only when I pause to gaze on the beauty of God and God’s world that I also become aware of the ugly wires in my life that obscure my image of God. At other times they don’t even register on my consciousness.
This morning as I sit here reflecting on this I would like you to reflect on two questions with me:
What else obstructs my view of God because I don’t take the time to gaze beyond it to the beauty of God?
Where has my image of God become unfocused because I tried to ignore these obstructions?
What could I do to change this?