Camera filter
Sometimes life gets out of focus. (Pixabay Photo Creative Commons License)
Several years ago I spent some time sorting through several hundred pictures taken during a time away. With digital technology I tend to take a lot more pictures now, knowing that I can keep and enjoy the best of them, and discard the rest if I choose. I am blessed to have a very good camera. I am still learning how to use it and, from time to time, take a course which introduces me to features I didn’t even know I had. Two features I particularly enjoy are the powerful zoom lens and ‘automatic’ focus.
One of the principles of good photography is sharp focus. A clear image depends upon an exact knowledge of the distance between the camera and the object or person being photographed, plus a knowledge of proper lighting for a good exposure. If you don't get it right, the resulting picture is often a blur. I used to have a lot of those. That is probably why so many people today prefer the simpler ‘automatic’ cameras, or even cell phone systems.
There is much to consider here: life does not provide us with ‘automatic focus.’ Sometimes our images of ourselves and what we encounter in life are out of focus and/or blurred. Sometimes we allow others to tell us what the focus should be, and as a result we miss something important. I love to photograph closeups of flowers. More than once my ‘automatic’ camera will pick up a stray leaf that I didn’t see, focus on that, and give me a blurred flower. It is interesting to note that the best photographers never use ‘automatic focus.’ It is easy to concentrate on one thing and miss other things. So, without proper focus and attention to detail, life, like cameras, can give us images that out of focus, unclear, dull, or worse.
When it comes to life, focus begins with a clearer image of ourselves. We see a lot of ‘selfies’ these days - extreme closeups taken by a cell phone camera held at arm’s length. They’re often fun and funny, but they are only snapshots that don’t give a full picture. In life, focus requires a knowledge of where we have succeeded and where we need to grow, and not just from our own point of view, but as others see it as well. That kind of focus is essential to successful living and healthy communities. People who share honestly, helpfully, and without judgment provide mutual encouragement and make it possible for us to claim out true identity. When we don’t do the homework required for good focus, we risk a blurred picture, a missed opportunity or, worse, an embarrassing result.
Bringing life into focus means recognizing other people for who they are, and life situations for what they mean. In photography the technical term for this is "depth of field." It means focus in context, where both the primary subject and the background are clear. It also requires being able to see ‘stuff’ that affects the image we will get. More than once I have had to say: “Wait a minute. One of us has got to move slightly or there’ll be a post coming up out of you head in the picture.” An honest effort at listening and understanding others and the surrounding world around brings focus to life's relationships, and reveals the context in which we live and where we flounder or flourish.
We are all better off, I think, when we encourage each other to live a more disciplined life in which we seek a more focused perspective for living. For people of faith, seeking a fuller understanding of our focus is an opportunity for spiritual growth and a time in which we can explore the depths of our faith. Someone has said: “Religion is belief in someone else’s experience. Spirituality is having your own experience.” We probably need a little of both. Either way, life is most clearly in focus when we acknowledge that all living and every life situation belongs to God. Affirming that everything belongs to God makes us partners in creation. If we can learn that now, and remember it, and tend to it, then we will make good progress in bringing life into focus. That is an image worth keeping!
The Rev. F. Richard Garland is a retired clergy member of the New England Annual Conference. This post is republished from his Facebook page. To reproduce this content elsewhere, please contact the author via Facebook.