Reflect and See

And He said, "See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not go after them. (Luke 21:8 NAS)

Photography news reporting can be interesting when it is placed in context with a written story. However, it can also be dangerous if taken out of context.

One of the myths about journalistic photography is the perception of seeing is believing. As media audiences, we tend to assume what we see in a photograph is equivalent to seeing the actual event, hence genuine in every respect and capable of conveying the truth about what had happened. 

Photography, however, in reality only records what had been captured and does not interpret the meaning of the picture. A photograph is not reality seen and therefore cannot be true evidence. With digital editing capabilities today, creative intervention can also tamper with the authenticity of what was actually 'seen' through the eye of the camera.

When we read a piece of news, we need always to remember that photography and messages conveyed in a written story can only be perceived reality. This can be manipulated to send a particular message to us, and unless media representation is deconstructed and understood as simply representations, our minds can be deceived or be misled into believing what may not be true.

Jesus said, “See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near’ (Luke 21:8a NAS). All of us who have eyes to see will probably think we cannot be easily misled or deceived into believing one who claims to be Christ, even if he is able to perform miracles. However, when it comes to looking into what’s going on in our own lives, we tend to be completely blinded and not see the Lord’s hands guiding us in the circumstances we face. More often than not, we see our lives crumbling down and falling apart, and sometimes even crippling when the going gets tough. We may have eyes, but we do not see or understand the reason behind what is going on or what has gone wrong in our lives.

It is perfectly understandable to feel perplexed during times when sorrows befall us, but if this sadness and gloom continue into days, weeks, months or years, then we must relook and reflect to know the reason why. Like the one who sees ‘reality’ through the eye of a camera, we may not be able to see the reason behind the difficult times now. This is because what we see is only what had been captured, without the understanding of the full story behind.

Like Joseph of the Old Testament who sees every event in his life as part of God’s plan (Genesis 45:5), we ought also to relook and reflect on our past to see and understand. Rather than blame God or anyone else for whatever unhappy things that happened in our lives, let us see the truth for itself. Let us not to be misled to think the worst of things or live our lives under a lie.

Things that happened in my past and present, to me, are simply God’s way of molding me for His purpose. When I reflect, I see how at each stage of my life God was always there for me. I am therefore thankful and forever grateful to God my Savior. Like me, do we see God’s hands in our lives? If we do, then let us not dwell in sorrow any longer. Let us come forth with joy because God knows His plans for us—plans for our well being and not for calamity, to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

Thank You, dear Lord, for always taking care of us and for seeing us through every step of the way. We know Lord whatever is happening and had happened in our lives are part of Your plan for us in molding us to be who we are today for Your purpose. Help us Lord to reflect and see how at each stage of our lives, You have been there for us. Remove from us Lord all the gloom and sadness, that we may with grateful hearts come before You in gladness of joy and thanksgiving.