The One Taking Pictures

"Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice like a wise man who built his house on a rock..." 
Jesus, Matthew 7:24











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​I got my camera out for 20 minutes a few days ago for the first time in a few months. I was in my yard shooting hummingbirds, one of my favorite things to photograph. As soon as I came inside, my 12-year-old daughter started asking if she could pleeeeeeease use my camera. Admittedly, I can be a little possessive of my camera, but she can be very persistent (see Luke 18:4-5), so I eventually gave in and started encouraging her in her skills. We talked about which way the light was moving and how to hold the camera in a steady way. 

It made me think about discipleship, and about one of the first times she used my kit. It was in Puerto Rico in April. We were on a special trip during my sabbatical. Everyone was about ready to get to the beach. The towels were packed, breakfast was done, and each of our family members was walking out from our tiny rainforest airbnb toward the rented minivan. Then I saw a flap of a wing and a quick blur of color. And I was gone. 

No one really saw me grab my camera and walk around the house, but they figured out what was going on when they all got into the car and I wasn't there. Now, was this my most considerate moment as a father? It was not. But to be fair, earlier in the trip I told everyone that I reserved the right to stop for pictures of special birds at a moment's notice. Because it was my sabbatical, dang it! The family was going to have to be ok with that if they wanted a chauffeur and a credit card for all of their adventures. My adventures had wings. 

Ok, back to the plot. Don't miss the point by criticizing my parenting. 

The next morning a very similar situation happened. Although this time I was the one sitting in the car with the family ready to roll. And Sariya was the one who had gone missing. That didn't land great with the other siblings, so I went and found her about 30 yards away with my camera, chasing a bird. 

Me: "Honey, we need to get going." 
Her, slightly irritated: “Dad, now I understand. It’s way better to be the one taking the pictures than the one sitting in the car waiting.”

Oh. Yes. Yes it is. 
And this is what it means to be a disciple. 
Jesus' purpose on earth was to initiate God's kingdom. He accomplished that in two ways: Through 1) his own life and atonement (disarming the powers of sin and death) and 2) creating a movement of disciples who lived out God's reconciliation and compassion in the world, empowered by the Holy Spirit. 

The word for "disciple" in Greek is mathetes. It means "learner," but not in a classroom way. It means an active participant, an apprentice who learns to live a life of love and faithfulness through hands on practice. This is not studying a book to ace a test in "Surfing Techniques Class." This is sitting on a board in the ocean to feel the swells of the water, wiping out gloriously, and learning a little more each time from your instructor and trying things out. 

I've always had a complicated relationship with the normal way of "doing church" in the United States. Outside of singing together, most models are very passive. One or two people do most of the talking, and the rest sit there. While I believe there is value in having a shared teaching and theme for a community to focus on together, we need to be very aware that this is just one piece of the journey, and should never be seen as what it means to be a Christian. If anything, it's a few minutes of rest together every week before the people of God get back into the real work of apprenticing Jesus and loving their neighbors. 

Let's persistently find ways to get our hands on the camera and start taking pictures. Let's work out our faith through fresh and active steps toward service, love, compassion, and connection. And let's not miss opportunities to invite people to share in seeking God's beauty and expressing God's love alongside us.

By the way, the above picture was taken by my daughter this week, not by me. 

Where are you drawn to a more active discipleship this week? It doesn't have to be huge. We make most of our progress in life through small steps, not large jumps.

Jesus, lead me into active apprenticeship with you each day, starting now. 
 
Peace,
Keith

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