The Pursuit
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tselem צֶלֶם: Hebrew for image
You might be wondering where the name came from… I found it in the Bible.
Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
The Hebrew root word ‘tsel’, meaning shadow, gives us context for what it means to be made in the tselem or “image” of God. Just as a shadow resembles the shape of the original object, humanity was created to imitate the Creator YHWH, reflecting His character and nature as representatives here on the earth.
Many of us know the story: the woman is enticed and eats the forbidden fruit. Rather than obeying God’s instruction, Adam joins in (Gen. 3:1-6). Through his disobedience, sin has broken our relationship with God and humanity no longer reflects who God is. On the contrary, sin separates us and death becomes mankind’s new fate.
No different than Adam and Eve, we all have pursued things that don’t reflect God’s nature. Instead of following our Maker, we have pursued our passions. Instead of imitating Christ, we mimic those we see around us. As we follow our own desires, we are led further and further away from God. Thankfully, the chasm between creation and the Creator has been bridged through Jesus, who reconciles us back to the Father (ref. John 3:16-17; 2 Cor. 5:18).
In His time on earth, Jesus Christ lived according to the righteous standard of God. He is that perfect “image” (Col. 1:15) we could not be, and because of his sacrifice, we are no longer bound to the ultimate consequence of sin, death. Despite what is deserved, we all can receive the free gift of God, “eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).
Those of us who put our trust in Jesus have become a new creation. As we submit our lives to Him, we can look towards the promise of eternal life. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit (our Helper) to pursue righteousness while walking “in step” with Him into freedom. Can I get an Amen?!
2 Corinthians 3:16-18
”But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.“
When it comes to photography, there’s so much more than meets the eye. Through capturing and delivering these once-in-a-lifetime memories, I want every person to get a glimpse of the bigger picture. If we think that a single, photographed moment of life is beautiful, how much more beautiful is the glorious image God transforms those who entrust their life to Christ Jesus? Every person is uniquely created to bear the image of God, and every second is an opportunity to live that out. If nature “declares the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1), humanity ought to walk it out.
A person transformed into the image of God and set free from the bondage of sin is the most beautiful thing you can ever see. Not even the best photographer can truly capture that!
In this life, there is liberty, and it is found in the pursuit of Jesus.
