I didn’t take this picture, which is why you won’t see this on my Flickr album.

And yet, somehow it’s one of the better baptism pictures I’ve seen: A grandfather cradleing his grandson in the ceremony of baptism. I don’t know either one of the people pictured. I don’t even know who took it, whether it was a professional or an amature shutterbug at the right place at the right now.
The picture was sent to me as part of a greater collection of pictures for a camp fundraising slideshow I was working on.
Why are baptisms so much extra special when it happens at camp? Perhaps its the idea that you don’t immediately go home after a camp baptism. Maybe it’s the feeling that you’re surrounded by new friends and folks you’ve known all your life.
Our minister, David Shannon, has stated recently that when you ask young people to name a time when they felt closest to God, it was during a retreat or summer camp. For me this is very much the truth. Even after 15 years of on and off again summer camp, for the most part I come back refreshed and renewed, and smiling.
This year I’ll be assisting with a high school boy’s class and giving a short devotional Tuesday night. I guess I’ve moved on since those early days of being green freshfaced college student, who’s major contribution to camp was checking cabins for cleanliness.