Overexposed

Digital has taken over most of the world of photography at this point, but in the not so distant future, photography used to begin with light sensitive paper or film. This was loaded into the camera and then the photographer with great care, based on their intent and the surrounding circumstances, would decide on the shutter speed and set the ISO. The shutter speed is of utmost importance because the length of time that the shutter is open is the amount of time that the film will be exposed to light. Without any exposure to light the film remains dark and registers no part of an image. As light is added, slowly details are burnt into the film and appear, almost like magic, as the film is developed. The more light is added to the film, the more detail is captured, but this is only true to a point. If the film is overexposed to light, you begin to loose detail again. This time though you don't loose detail in the darkness of the film, you loose the detail to the purest of whites. At first, an overexposed image may maintain details in some areas but not in others. If another shot is taken, and more light is let in, eventually the only visible subject of the photograph is light, because no detail of the image will withstand the exposure to the light. In this world, I hope to be like that overexposed picture, where no detail of me survives the light of the Lord Jesus. Jesus is the light of the world, and as he draws near to us we are exposed and purified until we are like him and mimic his effect in this world. Acts 13: 47 says, "For so the Lord has commanded us saying, 'I have made you a light for the gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth." Our mission as followers of Jesus is to be light in darkness just as he was when on this earth. There is more to this though, and it is that while in this world we are the light of Jesus, in heaven Jesus is our light. There is an amazing heavenly reality that when we go before our holy heavenly Father, Jesus is our light. He enters into us and purifies us from the inside out. First, exposing every sin, and then cleansing us of it until there is no detail left to be seen but him in us. Because of Jesus in us it is our reality before the Father that we are blameless! Colossians 1:21-23 says, "And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard." May we remain steadfast in our Lord, and rejoice in the hope of our salvation which frees us from blame; and may we be the light of Jesus in this world. May we be overexposed.