Feb 1st, 2024: Reflections From A Picture

What am I running away from? This picture was sent to me by a friend experimenting with a photography app. As I examine the image, my initial question is: What do the fire symbolize and the brief case represent?

Running away from what consumes us? Hatred could be the case. This is evident in recent conflicts and wars worldwide, where one group calls for the extermination of another. Self-destruction is another possibility, observed almost daily in my work. People are engulfed by their addictions, gradually destroying themselves.

You might wonder, what is in the briefcase? It should be something I treasure; the case protects whatever is inside. If the case symbolizes the love of God, we need to keep it by our side always. It will shield us from the negative impacts of the fire, teaching us how to love, be compassionate, and forgive. Hatred will not be a part of our lives, and fear will remain distant in our life experience.

"Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live! Then the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper, just as you have claimed. Hate evil and love what is good; turn your courts into true halls of justice. Perhaps even yet the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies will have mercy on the remnant of his people." - Amos 5:14-15