Hi ,
In this photo, you can see three representations of a South African grey heron. There's the mirror reflection of the bird, the shadow of the bird, and the bird itself. Two of the images aren't the real creature, but
indicate its presence.
When I first took this photo on our wildlife safari, I didn't realize I was capturing the "three" birds. But, I've looked at the picture many times and marveled at the properties of physics that even allow this to be visible. The shadow is present because of blockage of the
light. The reflection is visible because of bouncing of light.
It also reminds me of several biblical truths. If I may "spiritualize" this for a moment... The shadow reminds me of those who choose to live in darkness and deny God's truth, which is there for them to plainly see (Rom.
1:20). But they don't love the truth, so the god of this world has blinded them so that they can't see it (II Cor. 4:4). The reflection reminds me of those who like to mimic the truth. They have a form of godliness, but deny the power of God (II Tim. 3:5). Cults and false religions (and to a degree, compromisers) fall into this category.
Well, that's perhaps one way to look at it. Purely on the face of it, though, the shadow and the reflection are simply extra ways that God has used to give His creation more depth, color and beauty! It's a way to make His handiwork even more enjoyable!
