I took pictures on a recent Saturday morning of our men’s breakfast gathering. Images of the food, of the entire group of guys, of individuals.
But, when I wrote about the time together, I did not include the images on social media.
Though I love how pictures help us remember and how they inform others of our experiences, no photograph can do justice for our togetherness.
We—a mixture of men from many different cultures and adventures—sat, served, ate, listened, talked, prayed, and sang together. Our menu of topics included authentic sketches of our life stories. Our climate revealed an atmosphere of unity. Our time disclosed interest.
Not an interest in a business deal or an approval. Not an interest in our will being done our way at our time.
But an interest in one another. Those together at the tables, in the room, hearing the stories. All so different. All so unified.
Let His kingdom come.
Let His will be done.
Here. On earth.
As it is in heaven.
I love to get glimpses of His kingdom.
That morning I did. While eating and listening and sitting, I did!
I feel like with the rise of social media people feel a need to photograph everything. I have even had friends joke about if there aren’t pictures it didn’t happen. And I agree with the post, pictures have their purposes and are nice sometimes, but so is engaging in and really being part of a moment. In my opinion at least my favorite pictures are the one that came about organically, not someone making me stop what I was doing to capture a manufacture moment in our lives. Just as it is important to pause with Jesus, I find it is important to pause with those we choose to surround ourselves with. Put away the phones, don’t worry so much about capturing the perfect picture, and exist.
I love how you expressed the genuine joy and hope you felt among the community of men within the church. You took notice of the diversity in personality, culture, and experience and recognized the commonality which brings you all together–which is Christ himself. The unity which is expressed in the body of Christ is global and can be complex, but it can also be experienced in the small moments of a church Men’s breakfast on a Saturday in Royston, GA. That, I believe, is beautiful.
I will always love a photo of time spent together. However, the photo doesn’t tell the story we do. Sharing with others is always so important to me, whether that’s good times or bad times. I love talking to people and you can’t talk with photos. Photos only paint a picture, they don’t tell the stories. Sometimes I’ll have a great time and forget to take more photos or videos but in the end it was the time spent with others that I enjoyed, the memories that are being created.
I like how you reflect on the significance of shared moments that transcend the need for photographs. You recounts a men’s breakfast where diverse individuals connected deeply through conversation, prayer, and unity. Though pictures were taken, the essence of their gathering—community and togetherness—could not be captured fully in images. I really like how you emphasizes the beauty of authentic, in-person connection, where the focus is on presence and relationship rather than documentation.
Reading this post made me think of the famous saying a picture is worth a thousands words. And it can, but what about the feelings when you were in the moment a picture can’t express the joy or love you felt. Sometimes though you don’t need words or pictures. Just be in the moment and in the presence of those around you.
I admire how intentional you are about fostering, enjoying, and emphasizing the importance of these kinds of moments. Not a person and a screen or a few people and a few screens, but just people. Real conversations, real issues, and real unity not separated by Wi-FI and cellular data.
This is what the Holy Spirit brings to God’s people. Unity.
Pictures really do capture life’s greatest and most insignificant moments that ultimately shape our being and our experiences relative to the experiences of others. I reflect so much on photos that I have taken in the past and those photos really show me how far I have come as a person because they keep memories more alive for us. When we look at a photo it triggers a memory and we can remember God’s faithfulness. We see the connection and the unity that we have with the many people around us.
I love when you write, “No photograph can do justice for our togetherness.” In a world that thrives on “holding on to moments” by taking pictures, recording videos, and posting everything online, it is refreshing to hear these words. I know that I’m guilty of these things. But I am trying to be more in the moment and not on my phone or scrolling social media whenever I’m around those I love. As much as I love pictures, I think it is important to live in a moment and have the memories. It is important not to let a moment pass into a memory without actually experiencing it.