MANE
05-10-2008, 02:16 AM
Here's a sermon I delivered at a local church.
Each vantage of the lens captures light, reflecting a unique perspective; and yet, the subject of observation retains its essence and is the foundation of each moment thereafter. Here we stand, observing our neighbor’s photographs and reflecting upon our differences. Yet, we fall short of recognizing they are just that –photographs, which are subject to decay. All maps will erode to dust, while the presence of GOD is eternal. From 1 Corinthians 3:16, this truth is made relevant; for, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” This Spirit, or essence, is the light I speak of; the camera lens is our sense of reality; the vantage is our perspective; the photograph itself is the moment we hold on to, whether through memory, poetry, art, law, or philosophy. A photograph embodies the light seen in a single moment of life; an epiphany, or creative surge is expressed.
We perceive light through our individual lens, which itself captures light that has been refracted through the prism of life –a prism that embodies the relationship between human perception and the ultimate source of life, GOD. To understand truth, we must become aware of the initial source –light in its purest form. For the presence of this ultimate source is truth. It is within us –we are light in principle and reality; we are truth. Jesus embodies this message in the book of John 14:6, stating, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
Life is harmony, and through becoming aware of the ultimate source of light, we may begin to act in accordance. That is the essence of conscious life and free will –channeling direction at the asymptote of two paths –each twisting in its own direction determined by the life you create –or the change you let be, and ultimately, what your heart is open to.
The realistic idealist knows ideas are eternal, and what you open your mind to will seed into a great forest –as growth is exponential. The realistic idealist harmonizes with the Flow of life; the open doors of optimism vent fresh air and become the backbone of potential as one stands up, rising to the occasion of change. It is the realistic idealist who shoots for the stars to see what his arrow finds, knowing that the journey is the destination, while the destination drives the journey. It is a seeming paradox that defines the realistic idealist because of life’s dimension; it is rich with paradoxes, which reveal truths beyond conventional articulation, and rely on a personal relationship between you, the perceiver, and the essential light of GOD. On certain levels, this may be referred to as third eye vision, enlightenment, or to be in the presence of GOD, but for our purposes, it is simply a relationship at its most essential level.
This relationship defines us as humans. We all hold a camera of our own, and because of our unique walks of life, our photos capture light from a diverse spectrum of vantage points. And as humans, it is all too often that we attempt to use a single photo or series of photos to represent life in its entirety –considering the image of the photo as truth, while in reality, truth is within a relationship and harmony between the photographer and subject of observation. And so, whichever labels you may choose, or particular photographs you find to represent life’s quintessential beauty, let it emphasize the presence of GOD within all photos alike; it is fulfilling our potential, the intent of understanding our nature, or the will to know the unknown that brings us closer to GOD, the essential source of light, no matter race religion or walk of life. We all see refracted hues of the same essential light, and each photo magnifies the beauty of this spectrum. And, just as the intent of understanding the unknown will bring us closer to GOD, the intent of understanding our neighbor’s photographs will strengthen the relationship between one another within communities, and stepping back to see the whole image, strengthen the relationship between humanity and the world we live in.
-Chris Walsh
Each vantage of the lens captures light, reflecting a unique perspective; and yet, the subject of observation retains its essence and is the foundation of each moment thereafter. Here we stand, observing our neighbor’s photographs and reflecting upon our differences. Yet, we fall short of recognizing they are just that –photographs, which are subject to decay. All maps will erode to dust, while the presence of GOD is eternal. From 1 Corinthians 3:16, this truth is made relevant; for, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” This Spirit, or essence, is the light I speak of; the camera lens is our sense of reality; the vantage is our perspective; the photograph itself is the moment we hold on to, whether through memory, poetry, art, law, or philosophy. A photograph embodies the light seen in a single moment of life; an epiphany, or creative surge is expressed.
We perceive light through our individual lens, which itself captures light that has been refracted through the prism of life –a prism that embodies the relationship between human perception and the ultimate source of life, GOD. To understand truth, we must become aware of the initial source –light in its purest form. For the presence of this ultimate source is truth. It is within us –we are light in principle and reality; we are truth. Jesus embodies this message in the book of John 14:6, stating, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
Life is harmony, and through becoming aware of the ultimate source of light, we may begin to act in accordance. That is the essence of conscious life and free will –channeling direction at the asymptote of two paths –each twisting in its own direction determined by the life you create –or the change you let be, and ultimately, what your heart is open to.
The realistic idealist knows ideas are eternal, and what you open your mind to will seed into a great forest –as growth is exponential. The realistic idealist harmonizes with the Flow of life; the open doors of optimism vent fresh air and become the backbone of potential as one stands up, rising to the occasion of change. It is the realistic idealist who shoots for the stars to see what his arrow finds, knowing that the journey is the destination, while the destination drives the journey. It is a seeming paradox that defines the realistic idealist because of life’s dimension; it is rich with paradoxes, which reveal truths beyond conventional articulation, and rely on a personal relationship between you, the perceiver, and the essential light of GOD. On certain levels, this may be referred to as third eye vision, enlightenment, or to be in the presence of GOD, but for our purposes, it is simply a relationship at its most essential level.
This relationship defines us as humans. We all hold a camera of our own, and because of our unique walks of life, our photos capture light from a diverse spectrum of vantage points. And as humans, it is all too often that we attempt to use a single photo or series of photos to represent life in its entirety –considering the image of the photo as truth, while in reality, truth is within a relationship and harmony between the photographer and subject of observation. And so, whichever labels you may choose, or particular photographs you find to represent life’s quintessential beauty, let it emphasize the presence of GOD within all photos alike; it is fulfilling our potential, the intent of understanding our nature, or the will to know the unknown that brings us closer to GOD, the essential source of light, no matter race religion or walk of life. We all see refracted hues of the same essential light, and each photo magnifies the beauty of this spectrum. And, just as the intent of understanding the unknown will bring us closer to GOD, the intent of understanding our neighbor’s photographs will strengthen the relationship between one another within communities, and stepping back to see the whole image, strengthen the relationship between humanity and the world we live in.
-Chris Walsh