Monday, December 10, 2012

Monday’s Devotion: A Lesson on Pan and Scan


2 Timothy 3:15-17 Since childhood you have known the holy scriptures that help you to be wise in a way that leads to salvation through faith that is in Christ Jesus.  Every scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character, so that the person who belongs to God can be equipped to do everything that is good.

I watched a 1955 Humphrey Bogart Christmas movie on TCM last night. Afterwards modern day directors talked about the problems of converting wide screen movies to be shown on television. The method, pan and scan and adjusts the proportions by often cropping off the sides of the original widescreen image to focus on the composition's most important aspects.  These directors disapproved of pan and scan cropping because it can remove up to 45% of the original image, changing the director or cinematographer's original vision and intentions.  To make their point they showed classic film frames in their original format and then showed how much was cut out with the pan and scan editing.  A lot of the beauty and feeling of the original film was lost.  You know we tend to use our own version of pan and scan on the Bible.  We read only the easy, familiar parts, ignoring that which we don’t understand or parts that might ask of us more than we’re willing to give.  And yet when we edit God’s Word, we lose much of the beauty and meaning the original Creator intended for us.  Each day when you read a familiar scripture, perhaps you could turn to one you haven’t studied before and see what it might say to you.

Loving God, you have given us your Word for our benefit. Please guide us through your Holy Spirit to help us find all of the treasures you have prepared for us.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Have a blessed week,
Paige

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