by Rev Douglas Brauner

Finding hope in Christ.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

I love film photography.

I love black and white photography.

Lutheran Valley Retreat, Cedar Mountain Trail

The world looks different in black and white. We see a world of color most of the day as the grays of morning give way to sunrise, and sunset again usher in a world of gray. Converting a landscape picture into black and white shocks our brains into seeing the familiar, in a new way.

Digital cameras live in this world of black and white, but of a different kind. In the digital world, pictures are either on or off, a 0 or a 1. There is no on and off, 0’s or 1’s, in film photography, or as it’s being called today, analog photography. The world of film is a little more fuzzy, a little more muddy, and a little more chaotic.

For quite some time I’ve been taking pictures in the digital world. Now I’m capturing the world on film, and I’m enjoying going old school.

The world in which we live reflects pictures captured on film. We might want things to be on or off, 0’s or 1’s, but they’re not. Our world is a little bit fuzzy, a little bit muddy, and a little bit chaotic. Living in an analog world is filled with anxiety, craving, and fear.

Our God understands what it means to live in an analog world when his Son, hanging from his cross, ferried our sins and with it our anxieties, cravings and fears. Because of his mercy and grace we can also face our analog world knowing he will always remain black and white, as the writer to the Hebrews reminds us:

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8 English Standard Version

His person and his work will never change even in a fuzzy, muddy, and chaotic world.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado