Pastor Ponderings #175: Kodak Moment

George Eastman presented the world with the first affordable and user-friendly,

consumer camera in 1888. His company, Kodak, was about to embark on a picture-perfect century of success! The “Brownie” camera cemented Kodak’s dominance in the personal camera field. So popular was the brand that their slogan became commonly used when a special or memorable moment was caught on film – a Kodak moment.

Kodak had a remarkable run, but times were changing. Who could have foreseen the rise of the digital age? Well, it turns out that an aspiring Kodak engineer did. Steven Sasson was an employee of Kodak who he invented the first digital camera in 1975. When presented to company executives, the supposed response was that it was cute, but not to tell anyone about it. Kodak was unwilling to risk its successful film business to such innovation. This, in turn, became Kodak’s “Kodak moment”.

Kodak failed to recognize the importance of its own discovery and due to a lack of innovation in the digital photography field, it gave up ground to competitors like Sony and Canon. Kodak filed for bankruptcy in 2021. Some may remember the similar fate of a certain Canadian smartphone company named Blackberry.

The Bible tells us that King Solomon didn’t merely flirt with success; he was the poster boy of success. Yet after a thorough weighing of the value of it all, he came to the following sober conclusion.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

Proverbs tells us that riches make themselves wings and fly away. Success is fleeting. If our entire lives were a solid string of success, we would still leave all achievements stranded at the grave. All attained on earth does not determine success in the eternity to follow.

Matthew 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

You and I need to innovate in light of eternity. The most innovative strategy is to grasp the truth of the gospel and to see our true selves reflected from the pages of Scripture. Recognizing our sin and helplessness, despite earthly success, we turn to a Saviour for redemption – Jesus Christ. That is a moment worth capturing and keeping, a true Kodak moment.