Photobombed

Photobombed

Photobombing is an indiscriminate, unexpected appearance of another person who ends up in your photo, just as the picture is being taken. I go to a church that is part of an active, on campus university ministry and  we have many vibrant and enthusiastic youth that attend. We have lots of laughter and much fun with photobombing. There are the photos of happy best friends smiling sweetly together while a photo bomber leaps, mouth gaping, across the background. There are the group photos with everyone in orderly place when suddenly, just at the last moment, a person throws himself in horizontal position in front of the group, giving at times an illusion of flying. People jumping excitedly, pulling comical faces, waving arms and smiling cheekily all make random entrances into photos Photobombing can bring lots of laughter and cherished memories. 

Recently in Australia a photobombed picture went viral and even claimed world wide exposure. As part of the British Commonwealth, Australia participated at the Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow. The Queen was intently watching the Australian hockey team, known as the Hockeyroos, record a win of 4-0 over Malaysia. After the game Hockeyroos players, Jayde Taylor and Brooke Peris, whipped out their phones in an attempt to get a selfie as the Queen walked past in the background. The girls seemed to have it staged when  Queen Elizabeth appeared to stop and smile behind them as they snapped the picture.

For me the funniest and most random of all photobombing was done by a giraffe. I was at Sydney Taronga Zoo with my best friend, Lisa. She was nicely positioned by the giraffe enclosure to have her photo taken while a giraffe grazed serenely in the background. His elongated neck was stretched as he reached high into the wire basket above, using his long cobalt tongue to deftly grasp the lucerne and pull it into his mouth. I took the photo when all of a sudden there appeared a younger giraffe behind Lisa seemingly to deliberately photobomb. I asked Lisa to stay where she was and I kept taking photos. I was laughing so much. The giraffe was pulling “giraffe necks”. He would twist his neck this way or that way in such funny poses as he sauntered past. Back and forth he ambled, and with each passing was a new antic. 

 How often are we going through our busy day taking snap shots in time with our minds only to stop at the end of the day and realise God was there in the background at each and every moment? God is a photobomber in our lives. He is never random, always deliberate and always within view, whether we realise it or not. He is standing there in each and every frame of life, always present and never absent. Do we see Him? Do we recognise Him? Yet this is not who God wants to be. He wants to be in the selfie beside us, loved and adored simply because He loves and adores us first. He desires our friendship, He longs to enjoy close connection with us. Do I choose today to allow Jesus to be in my selfie, loved and smiling beside me?

John 15:15 I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

James 4:8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you