Through a glass darkly

There were some really beautiful details of this coreopsis bloom that I wanted to capture - the fine detail at the center of the flower, the sun passing through the translucent petals, the delineation of each petal and the grace with which they encircled the center.

Unfortunately, my camera fogged up for some mysterious reason and by the time it cleared up, the magical light was gone and the opportunity had passed. You can imagine what this may have looked like in tack-sharp focus, but that's all you can get - an imaginary image.

The Bible mentions that God is beautiful beyond description, but that the foibles and frailty of humans allow us to see it only as if we were looking through dark, imperfect glass. We can get glimpses in the beauty of nature or in the words of Scripture, but that vision still has to pass through the filters of our imperfect minds. Someday it will all come into sharp focus.

Until then, all we have are fuzzy pictures.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
1 Corinthians 13:12

Click on picture to enlarge. Photograph copyright 2007 James Jordan.