Last year, I bought a crystal ball—not to foretell the future or delve into mystical realms. No, this was a tool for creating unique photos.
By holding a crystal ball in front of your camera lens and focusing on the image appearing inside it, you see an upside down, curved, wraparound view. Blur the background a bit, and viola! A new perspective on an everyday scene.
The ball makes seeing the beauty of God’s creation a whole new experience. The view from my office window isn’t spectacular – I overlook my office’s rear parking lot and Moravian College’s baseball field. But in January, the view through my crystal ball looks like a snow globe. In July, the bright blue skies and green trees take on a magical view. Throughout the year, sunsets and rainstorms create glowing colors and interesting patterns. And come fall…well, that’s where my breath gets taken away.
They say there’s beauty to be seen in every situation. In this day and age, where there is much ugliness in the world, the view through a crystal ball is just one way to help me see that beauty. No, it can’t make bad things stop happening, nor reverse tragedies. But for a moment, I see things in a new light.
Among the articles about happenings in the Moravian world, we share another tool for helping us see beyond the crises in the world today in this issue of The Moravian. On page 13, we share the Intercessions for Times of Crisis, inspirational words from our Moravian Book of Worship, that can help us focus on peace, hope and God’s love for us.
As much as I’d love to be able to see the future by gazing into my crystal ball, I know that just won’t happen. Instead, I’ll gaze into the beauty that God has given us…and make some pretty cool photos in the process!
Peace,
Mike
