A Picture of God

Its 4am. Darkness has covered the land for hours. The grass is now moist with dew. The cool breeze blows a couple dead leaves along the empty highway. The earth is quiet. I look up into the sky and see a thousand stars, slowly rotating around the northern sky. I can see the light bands of the Milky Way galaxy, bearing 100 billion bright suns. But our galaxy is such a tiny drop in vast universe. I stand looking at the night sky with my camera perched upon its tripod and quietly filming the spectacle. With such a large universe, I am tempted to feel insignificant, unable to picture my existence having any meaning or purpose or even acknowledgement. But that feeling is fleeting, because the author of the universe surely has written every page for a reason.

I ascend to the mountaintops. I am welcomed by a beautiful landscape. The rolling hills, the colorful trees, and the floating clouds all work together to create a complete and amazing scene. A few clicks of the camera and I am on my way. It is nearly dusk and I am waiting at the lake for the show. The sun descends to the horizon and imparts a majestic glow of reds, yellows, and orange hues throughout the sky. Click, click. A few months later winter is here and the ground is blanketed in white. Later still, the trees and flower burst forth in a quick display of all colors and smells and sights imaginable. The camera clicks continuously. And finally one early morning, I am waiting on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. My feet are in the damp sand from the earlier tide. The only sounds are the melodic crashes of the waves onto the beach. My eyes (and my camera) are aimed at the east. Suddenly the great fireball arises out of the waters and glows a magnificent red. The rays stretch out over the entire depth of my vision, and begin to light the earth. Minutes later, the sun is too bright to look at for more than a few seconds. With a few more clicks of the camera, I have captured the brief moment and take it with me.

As I scroll through all the great pictures, I cannot help but to think about their source. There is a Maker of the stars, of the mountains, of the flowers, of the earth. But what can all of these creations tell us about the Maker? The astronomers tell us that the universe is so vast, that there are more stars that there are grains of sand on all the earth’s beaches. In fact, there are theories that even our universe might be one of an infinite number of other universes. The physicists tell us that our Earth is in the perfect position among our companion planets, moon, and Sun in order to support life. The biologists tell us that DNA is so complex that our DNA sequence would fill two hundred New York City phone books. And countless more scientists of all fields concur that this is all much deeper than we can comprehend.

There is so much reason for us to revere the Creator. Along with the galaxies, mountains, and sunrises, He also created us. But of all the reasons we can find for praise, nothing compares to when the Creator subjected Himself to His creation. It would be like an artist drawing on a scene on his canvas, and then inserting himself in the scene. No longer would he have water and brush in hand, but he would be governed under his drawing. God came to this earth, and was able to experience the beautiful sunsets that He designed, and the great mountain ranges that He shaped. But God on earth was not as it should have been. Creation turned on its Creator, and killed Him on a tree (that He created).

Three days later, He arose from the dead, proving His reign over death and His creation. And through His Name, the wonderful name of Jesus, we can too reign over sin and death.

So how do you take a picture of God? He is invisible from our eyes, from our lenses. We can aim our cameras at the night sky and get a glimpse of His vastness and power. We can direct our lens over the landscapes and enjoy His beauty. We can direct our microscopes at the cell and try to grasp God’s intelligence and design. But after we do all that, something is still missing. Where can we look to see inside God’s heart? God did not create love, but He IS love. God didn’t say He loves us, but He instead showed us His love by sending Jesus to the cross. For God’s power, beauty, and intelligence God showed us a picture. But for God’s love, forgiveness, and hope He gave us a Son.



I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. (Psalm 139:14)

Kevin Carden

 

Carden's Design is located in the Triad of North Carolina and is owned and operated by Kevin Carden. We specialize in photography services for landscapes, weddings, portraits, sports, business, and advertising. Apart from our photography, we also offer services in web site design, marketing, and advertising solutions. All content found on this website, including images, text, and other information is © 2008 Carden's Design. All Rights are Reserved. Webmaster: Kevin Carden Address: 1437 Abbotts Creek Circle, Kernersville, North Carolina 27312 Phone: 336.391.6993 Email: kevin@cardensdesign.com Web: www.cardensdesign.com