| For every perfectly posed photo, there’s a back story. Often, that story goes something like this:
I was freezing cold in that picture.
That’s right before I cut my heel on a rock.
We forced ourselves to take that picture at the top of the mountain. We’d been arguing the whole hike.
Of course, the image doesn’t capture any of this angst or discomfort. Without context, viewers are left to interpret only what they can see. Our own lives aren’t Instagram-ready, so we question if others’ pictures are authentic.
“We wonder if everything we saw was just photoshopped,” writes Sandra McCracken. “Like Thomas, we doubt and withdraw to our private judgments. To our suspicion Jesus says: ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe’ (John 20:27).”
We’ll never know the backstory behind every post, and we don’t need to. Instead, we can remind ourselves that in Christ the truth is knowable and the created world—from a mesmerizing sunset to the image of God in each individual—is wonderful. With truth and love as our lens, we can set aside both naivety and scrutiny and find ourselves free to see, know, and love. |
