I picked up my first heart shaped rock a number of years ago on a favourite beach and find another just about every year. The heart of course, is a symbol of love, and despite that it looks nothing like a human heart, the symbol lives on. Three years ago I was introduced to photography as a spiritual practice, and spent part of my sabbatical travelling the Maritime provinces, taking pictures. As I looked through thousands of pictures, I realized there was a recurring theme, I had a number of pictures of heart shapes found in nature.
While I don’t deliberately go out seeking heart shapes to photograph, this quote, by Mary Oliver sits in my subconscious as I pray with my camera.
“Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.”
With my camera in my hand paying attention becomes second nature, I am astonished at what I see, so many things I never noticed before, and I told about it through initiating an art show called Take Heart, based on the passage from Mathew: But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27).
Through the images I discover with my camera, I am reminded that we are surrounded by a loving Creator.
My Window on God's World 