Isaiah prophesied,
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
Before Jesus began his ministry, John the Baptist said of him,
“The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.”
Finally, Jesus said of himself,
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
This Christmas, celebrate the light that frees us from darkness.
Here’s another take on the abandoned house in southwest Oklahoma. I’m always amazed at the presence of beauty in the midst of decay and abandonment. Here, the wild flowers (some would call them weeds) are framed by the wood and tin of the ancient house. Even as one is dying the other is living and thriving. I had a conversation with one of my sons today about dilemmas and life struggles. I promised him that they will always exist, but I felt confident he could handle them. When things seem to be falling apart, new beauty is often struggling to live. If we let it, and nurture it, the old that we once thought so precious becomes less important. The old now acts simply as a faded counterpoint to new beauty.
I’m learning some new Black & White techniques. Here’s an intital attempt at rendering the Oklahoma Capitol in B&W. This shot is taken from inside the atrium of the Oklahoma History Museum. The vast windows face south toward the rear of Oklahoma’s Capitol. The dome was recently completed with the addition of the Indian standing atop. Symbolically that puts Native Americans at the very center of our state–lifted up, recognized, and valued. If only that were always the case. I was in a meeting this morning where we talked at length about the Native American culture. We talked about the importance of their traditions and languages to help them maintain a sense of identity. At the same time, we have legislators that have offices in this Capitol building who want to make English the official language of our state. It appears to me they think the languages of 37 Federally recognized tribes that reside in our state are of no importance.
This week I had some all day meetings at the Oklahoma History Museum in downtown Oklahoma City. This morning, before my meetings, I took a few shots of the wonderful skylight (as well as other things) at the top of the dome. The morning light illuminates the atrium where guests first arrive. For those who bother to look up, there is a sense of enlightenment–perhaps intentional by the architect. Sometimes looking up does that.
A Guatemalan woman invited us into her home. Although the cooking was outside, the rest of her kitchen was in a corner where natural light could illuminate her work.
Check out more of my flickr photos on my Flickr page.