I am quite the camera connoisseur. What I mean is that I collect cameras. I have been involved in photography since I was 15. I worked on the High School Annual staff for 3 years as a photographer. I bought my first 35 mm camera set up when I was 16 for $800 (that was a lot of money back in 1978). The local photo shop owner bought it and I made payments to her for a year.

Since that time I have owned Pentax, Olympus, Minolta, Mamaya, Ricoh, Vivitar, Kodak, Poloroid, Canon, and some brand names you can’t pronounce. Some of the cameras are instamatic (126mm), others are large film format (220 mm or 2” negative). One of the cameras date back to 1907 while I have my Canon T-3 is the newest (2014).

I started collecting cameras after taking a photography class in college. The instructor had a glass display case in classroom with several cameras to show the evolution of the camera through the years. I found it totally fascinating and began collecting cameras myself. I would buy the cameras at estate or garage sales. I might find one in a pawn shop and buy it. The most I ever paid was probably $20. I had a few given to me by family members. Most of the cameras, however, have come from church members or friends who had a relative that had a camera and wanted to just find a new home for it.

At last count there were between 65 and 80 cameras on display in my office. Probably 95% of them are still operational. The problem is finding film for them. If you can find the film, the cost of the film along with the cost of processing the film and making pictures can be quite expensive! This is probably why I went to digital photography. Plug in the phone, SD card or thumb drive, select the pictures, crop and touch up as wanted then print the picture. All in a matter of moments.

As I look at the cameras I can see the innovation that has occurred over the last 100+ years. A camera that could fit in your pocket or one that weighs 50 pounds is quite different.

I have quite a collection of Polaroid as well, 11 of them to be exact! I still remember the thrill of taking the picture, pulling out a strip of plastic with chemicals to develop the picture and waiting 60 seconds for the film to develop. Then pull back the plastic and presto…a picture. Or you take the picture and out rolls the undeveloped picture. You can hold the picture and watch it develop before your eyes.

I even have a couple of the disc cameras. They tended not to be quite so popular as the negative was small making the clarity of the photo not so good. The negatives were on a disc that looke like disc in a 3-D View Master toy.

The 35 mm was my camera of choice, however. I love the durability, convenience and quality of picture it takes. Having an assortment of lenses for the camera is quite helpful as well. My digital camera (Canon) has 3 interchangeable lenses.

My point…I have several cameras with several film sizes and formats. They are all for the purpose of taking pictures. Some for portraits, some for sporting events, some for action and others for still/nature photos. Some are quite old, some are just old and some are relatively new. But all are for taking pictures.

All this reminded me recently that the Gospel is like the cameras. Churches, Preachers, Evangelist and Christians everywhere share the Gospel. There are many different ages of people that share the Gospel. Children, youth, young adults, parents, grandparents and senior adults can tell people about Jesus.

There are many methods of sharing the Gospel. Maybe it is someone preaching from the pulpit in a church. Perhaps it is a Gospel message on Facebook or YouTube. There are people who preach the Gospel on TV networks or even on a street corner. Once upon a time we had outdoor or tent revivals where the Gospel was preached. One time I went to an allcity crusade held at a football stadium and there the Gospel was preached to almost a thousand people!

Some who tell the Gospel are professional, well trained and educated. Some who share the Gospel are a novice, uneducated or untrained. They know and tell you how much Jesus loves them and you, then they share the prayer of salvation with you!

See, like the cameras, it doesn’t matter the method, device or location, they all have the same purpose. And so does the Gospel. Method, device or location is not the point. That Jesus love you and died for your sins is what matters and what you do with the Gospel message is the point!

Paul sums it up best in Philippians, 1:15-18. He is writing from Jail. With him in jail, others are preaching Christ. Some for the good and benefit of those listening. Some only to benefit themselves and hurt Paul. But Paul says it best in this way, “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.” Simply said, many ways, one outcome. Many voices, one message. Many reasons, one result…Christ proclaimed.

Picture Taking Preacher, Bro. Tim

First Southern Baptist Church, Gore