In exploring Flickr, I was intrigued by the vast array of photos, and videos, available for use. Perhaps the component that I admired the most was that Flickr actually combines a customizable digital photo database, with photo enhancement and design software under one umbrella. Diversity, especially within a free site is very appealing. The site is also very easy to navigate, but I must admit that I was a little disappointed with the advanced search feature, as I felt it was too restrictive. It would have been nice to perhaps follow in the footsteps of some libraries in offering multiple keyword searches. All in all, I would definitely recommend this site as a good resource for photos and videos.
In perusing the site, I actually came across a photo from KristinaVF very quickly and despite reviewing hundreds of photos, this one really resonated with me. In her picture, she managed to capture the essence of the impact that one source could have on its surroundings. Appropriately entitled “Faith, Hope & Charity,” the photo allowed for much reflection and interpretation into each of these areas, and it led me on a journey of discovery. In considering Faith, the light to me represents God and his eternal grace. Despite our imperfections, he is there to brighten our paths and to make us whole and beautiful again. As for Hope, I feel that each person has an innate desire to hold out hope for their futures. Generally speaking, most people are optimistic, whether they choose to believe it or not, and they are nurturing. These components are what has allowed us to evolve as a nation that is respected; a nation that is sought after as the land of opportunity. With hope, it only takes a single seed to sow a garden of faith.
Despite your personal views of religion and hope, charity to me represents a universal language of love; A simple gesture can impact not only one person’s life, but quite possible an entire culture. In reality, people tend to focus on the differences in others. Not with respect to simply alienating people based on differences, but as a component of evaluating a person and determining how they fit in your own world. You see, the actual meanings of charity, as defined by Encarta Dictionary, is to provide assistance to those in need, to judge in a favorable way and to impart love of others. In order for us to truly evolve in our thinking, we must seek to understand the differences of others and embrace the opportunity to learn how they enrich our own lives. Sometimes, we tend to get lost in our daily routine and as long as things are going good, we see no need to alter our path. How often do you stop and watch the comportment of others? Do you wonder how they or their actions could benefit you in your own life? Do you instead, take a negative stance and contemplate ways you could fix or improve the other person?
Life is an evolution of experience and faith, and each person’s journey is unique. Although, we may each have our views of right and wrong, who are we to try and direct the actions of others or alienate them for their differences; after all… who is actually right?
Thank you for this beautiful post.
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