The heart’s night-vision

Dear Epiphany,

A few weeks ago I traded in my old iPhone for a brand new iPhone 12 – yay!!  In general, I let my phones have a good long life of several years and then only upgrade when I have to do so. And it was time, especially since the phone camera is the critical component to creating our worship right now. Wow, that new camera is quite something too! One of the main new features I’ve never had before is “night-mode.” The camera automatically adjusts to capture details not seen with an ordinary camera in the dark. The image ends up looking brighter than if you looked with the naked eye. A few nights ago, in the snowfall, I experimented. My new camera captured images of the snowflakes falling at night – how fun! It captured the brightness and lines of the moon and a few stars the week before that! Night mode is my new favorite feature!

In all seriousness though, the ability to capture beauty in the darkness, detail in the obscurity, is a gift and grace. The details and beauty were there all along of course, but hidden to the eye of the camera. Puts me in mind of the holiness and brightness of the nighttime of our lives. Holy things happen in the Bible at night. Jesus is born and then resurrected in the mystery of darkness. Jacob wrestles with the angel and the Israelites cross the Red Sea to freedom.

I want God to help me cultivate “night-mode” in my heart. To help me see the brightness, detail and beauty present when I feel least bright or energetic or when circumstances seem so grim these days.  Look for God’s graces and blessings in the darkness, they are there. Put on “night-mode” and see what you can capture. I’ve noticed that in order to take pictures in night mode, the exposure time is longer. The camera counts down two or three seconds while taking the picture. “Night-mode” requires us to slow down, have patience and persevere to look deeper. Give it a try.

So don’t be surprised if you see more “night-mode” photos throughout our worship the next few weeks – I’m pretty intrigued!

Yours in Christ,

Rev’d Jen