A friend posted a video on Facebook the other day showcasing the best of creative HD video in 2012. The video begins with a crisp clear contracting pupil within a blue iris followed by a sky diver falling toward earth. We see explosions and star systems and surfers in perfect 16:9 high definition. What’s it about our obsession with clarity and pixel density?
I’ll give you an example. Amtrak produced a beautiful two-minute video for National Train Day this past 12 May. Watch it in 720p and our question may be answered.

For a rail fan like me seeing the crisp snow falling onto an Acela locomotive or the sun shining onto the landscapes seen from the window of a moving train give me goosebumps. But the Amtrak piece focuses on the relationships that form while on board. When we see high definition video it helps us imagine being there. We see the scene—and the story—in a clarity almost as true as our normal vision. And with HD, our visual focus is more attuned to the little details: the beams of light, the blades of grass, the wrinkles in a smile. It’s a pity that with the full infinite clarity of our normal vision in everyday moments we frequently take for granted those little details.
HD video can strike an emotional chord because it hones us in on how beautiful our surroundings really can be. And this is an easy way to find God in all things.
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