Daily Photo Parable

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, May 27, 2025

We humans are a fickle lot, letting the whims of the moment dictate what we happen to think is in vogue. In our quest for ever increasing status, we impose somewhat arbitrary guidelines which create a pecking order in society. The Gibeonites recognized this and used it to their advantage, tricking the Israelites into signing a treaty with them. You remember the story as told in Joshua 9: They gathered old sacks and old leather wine bags that were cracked and mended, and they put them on the backs of their donkeys. They put old sandals on their feet and wore old clothes, and they took some dry, moldy bread.” (Joshua 9:4,5 The Everyday Bible) In other words, they tried to benefit from appearing to be the last man on the totem pole.

The Tricolored Heron, formerly called Louisiana Heron, involuntarily fell into this same situation. In the late 1800s, fashion placed a high premium on feathers of egrets and other birds used to adorn women’s hats. In 1886, it was estimated there were 50 North American species being subjected to this slaughter to accommodate this whim. But fortunately for the Tricolored Heron, their feathers were not in high demand, simply because of their color. And it wasn’t because they weren’t beautiful. Audubon, in referring to this species called this elegant wader the “Lady of the Waters.” It was just that they didn’t match the idealized style of the moment.

It’s likely we have misused 1 Peter 3:3-4 to restrict adornment while missing what Peter is really directing towards, true beauty, something that lasts. “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” (NIV)

Photo ©2016 and Commentary ©2025 by Chuck Davis
Monday, May 26, 2025

The mix of granite boulders and alpine fir trees with Mt. Rainier at sunrise dispelled all memories of the arduous hike up Granite Mountain.

A captivating landscape image is a blend of interesting elements in the foreground, middle ground, and background. Include a powerful subject, during the golden hour and the photographer’s face will shine.

This image reminds me of a biblical blessing, “The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV).

May you enjoy God’s peace today!

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday, May 25, 2025

Was he guilty of soliciting? No. Loitering? No. He paused to pose for a few Private Property photos, but didn’t loiter or linger (or even litter, which the sign did not prohibit). Did he trespass? Yes, definitely, yes!

This bunny rabbit trespassed all over the place – merrily hopping from one garden and lawn to another. He even crossed the street without looking both ways.

It seemed a bit bold of him to pose by the Private Property sign with all its prohibitions, but this happened to be Easter afternoon. Perhaps he was the Easter Bunny and, as such, felt he was welcome everywhere.

I enjoy experiencing a delayed reaction to a photo I’ve taken. Perhaps I’m easily surprised and pleased, and also slow on the uptake! I thought I’d absorbed all there was to notice in this photo that I took more than a month ago – but yesterday I suddenly saw a connection I’d overlooked. And, believe it or not, it has to do with one of Aesop’s Fables and a verse in Ecclesiastes!

The rabbit is not the only critter in my photo; he’s cozied up to a couple of unnaturally white turtles. And suddenly I thought back many, many years ago to one of my elementary school readers, where I read Aesop’s Fable of “The Tortoise and the Hare.”

The story in brief: The tortoise grows tired of the hare always making fun of him for being so slow, so he challenges him to a race. The hare easily takes a long lead, and is so confident that he’ll win the race that he decides to take a wee nap. While his nap stretches on, the tortoise plods ahead, overtakes him, and is approaching the finish line when the hare wakes up and runs as fast as he can, but the tortoise crosses the finish line first.

The moral of the story? I think it clearly is, “You snooze, you lose!” but it’s usually given as, “Slow and steady wins the race.” (Which I think is only true if your speedy competitor is overconfident and/or arrogant and thus loses the race that he could have easily won.)

However, Aesop concluded this fable with the moral, “The race is not always to the swiftest.”

Readers of Ecclesiastes might be hearing a close echo of the second line of chapter 9, verse 11:

I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong . . .

The verse continues:

. . . nor does food come to the wise
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance
happen to them all.

In this verse I hear the author cautioning us that we should not jump to conclusions; those among us who seem most favored are not guaranteed to be the world’s winners.

And if I look at this verse again in a month or so, I will probably notice something that I’ve overlooked in it! I will be surprised and pleased at my double take!

One of my college friends astonished me by claiming not to re-read books. One reason I was surprised was that, on a college student’s budget, she bought only hardcover books, not the cheaper paperbacks. And she loved to read.

One book she did re-read was her Bible. It’s not a book to read once through and put on a high shelf or sell, because you’ve read all the print from Genesis through Revelation and there’s nothing more to absorb from it. And yet sometimes I approach a Bible story with the unhelpful attitude of knowing I know the story. I’ve read it, and re-read it. I’ve heard it preached. I may have memorized a line or two from it. Ho, hum – time for a wee nap.

Wait – what’s the moral of that story? You snooze, you lose . . .

And here’s where I say, “Thank You, Jesus, for giving us the best possible gift when you ascended back to heaven — our Holy Spirit Teacher, Comforter, Convicter, Guide, Counselor, Reminderer! Please open my eyes, my ears, my mind, my heart to what I need to hear afresh in Your Word.”

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Maylan Schurch
Sabbath, May 24, 2025

Friday afternoon of this week I was driving home from our local library, where I’d been working on this week’s sermon. I passed by a familiar neighborhood landmark – an old Shakey’s Pizza place which has been closed for several months. That reader board sign has been empty since then, until the message you see above was mounted.

Once I deciphered the letters (and figured out that the second symbol wasn’t a division sign but a plus sign), I realized that a guy whose name’s first initial was “C” was inviting a girl (“Cal”) to an upcoming prom. Or maybe it was the other way around, a girl inviting a guy named “Cal.”

The more you look at this photo, the more you realize the trouble someone took to get those letters up there. In past years, I’ve seen Shakey’s staff teetering high on an A-frame ladder changing the sign. So the prom-inviter had to first of all create the lettering, print it out large enough to be visible, and then ascend somehow and find a way to fasten those letters so they would stay.

And as the sign-affixer tottered down the ladder and anxiously surveyed the result, I’m sure that he (or she) was fervently hoping that the “significant other” would see the message and joyously respond.

You know where I’m going with this, right? Once upon a time, in His final Bible book (“The Revelation of Jesus Christ”), Jesus pictured Himself not at a reader board but outside the exterior door of a house.

“Behold,” He calls. “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20 NKJV) And while the prom-inviter envisions attending a brief high school event with a fascinating partner, Jesus invites the household into the closest possible eternal friendship.

Doesn’t that sound inviting? To read more about this invitation, review the verses at the following link:

https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/salvation

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday and Friday, May 22 and 23, 2025

With so many flowers out in May, I can’t get all of them in one photo so here is a sample. These Rhododendrons caught my eye because of the contrast of the flowers and the utilitarian road. Someone a long time ago thought that this might be a good place to cheer up an otherwise unremarkable location. I’m thankful for their efforts.

Likewise, when we start to listen to the words of Jesus, we begin developing likeness of thought that can bring hope and light to people years down the road.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 15:5-6

Enjoy the flowers this May, and I let’s look for opportunities to share Jesus’ positive attractive attitude.

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Last year, we had the opportunity of visiting a local iris farm, where the sheer variety of irises was both stunning and a bit overwhelming as we tried to choose a few for our garden. A quick Bing search revealed that there are around 300 different variations of irises! Fortunately, this particular farm offered a generous selection, but not that many — I’d estimate at least 40 varieties. After carefully making our selections, the bulbs were shipped to us at the appropriate time, and we eagerly planted them, awaiting their bloom in early April.

As you can see in the image, the results did not disappoint. The vibrant hues and intricate details serve as a beautiful testament to God’s handiwork.

Watching them sprout from the very spot where we planted them reminded me of a powerful truth — irises don’t worry about how they’ll grow or what they’ll become; they simply respond to the light, water, and soil they’re given. In the same way, we are called to trust God, knowing that He is cultivating something beautiful in us, right where we are meant to be.

As the verse in Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us: *“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

God has plans for each one of us. We are called to trust and obey. That trust allows God to work through us, providing the necessary ‘nutrients’ to anyone we come in contact with. That trust and obey process starts right at home and in our communities. This week, ask God to allow you to be used in the way He wants – projecting His beauty to others.

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Give them credit, the ancient Egyptians worked hard at making sure their bases were covered. They had a god for every possible situation, and some, such as Thoth, served multiple roles. Thoth was often depicted as a man with the head of the sacred ibis. Upon him fell the responsibility of maintaining the stability of the universe, and should he have any time left over he was to arbitrate in disputes between the other gods, encourage writing and the development of science, as well as judging the dead. It appears as though he had a full plate.

Should you see a silhouette of the White Ibis coming in to roost at their communal resting place after a long day of doing whatever ibis do, the image created by its long downward curving bill would be a close parallel to the image of Thoth. Unfortunately for the Egyptians, Thoth really had no power, even less than the ibis after which he was stylized. Each year a sizable portion of their eggs are destroyed by extremely high tides which ruin their nests. Between 1989 and 1990 as a result of Hurricane Hugo, a colony in South Carolina plummeted from 10,000 to zero as freshwater foraging areas were inundated with salt water.

We also worship a God who is responsible for maintaining the universe and serves as the final judge, not only of the dead but also of the living. But unlike the busy Egyptian deity, we were made in Jehovah’s very image. Luke expresses it this way: “For in him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28 NIV) In other words, everything we are, the totality of our existence, is caught up in who God is. No wonder He never sleeps.