I’ve always enjoyed photography. Even today I display some pictures I took as a kid using the one simple camera our family owned. Then in high school I purchased a Kodak 110 camera that was inexpensive and took color photographs. I used that camera for several years, even taking it to New York city and Washington DC on our senior class trip. It seemed everyone owned one of those cameras and for a few years it dominated the market.
I thought about that camera this week when it was announced that Kodak Company was preparing to file for bankruptcy protection. This is the 131 year old company that is synonymous with photography…the company that introduced the first digital camera in 1975.
This quote from a Washington Post story summarizes Kodak’s problem: “Rather than staying on top of the digital revolution, the company seemed mired in nostalgia, better known for its old ‘brownie’ cameras, the quality of its now-defunct Kodachrome film and for the phrase ‘Kodak Moment,’ which entered the lexicon as a description of a photo-worthy scene. The brand belongs in a museum.”
One thing has not changed…people still love photography. More pictures are taken today than at any time in history. This makes the news that Kodak is preparing to file for bankruptcy even sadder.
Is there a lesson for churches in this story? I think there is! A great past does not guarantee a bright future.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is still the power of God for salvation to those who believe, but many of the strategies effective churches use to share the gospel have changed.
I no longer use my Kodak 110 camera, but I do still take lots of photographs. Churches are still commanded to share the gospel with the lost, but their effectiveness will be limited if they are Kodak churches.
Pastor Steve Hogg
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