I knew of a priest who believed the story of the loaves and the fishes was not really about magical replicating food. Maybe it was simply a crowd of people, some of whom had brought a meal and who shared it readily, so that there was enough for everyone. Is this not miracle enough? In the same way, this exquisite, ambiguous 1866 photograph by Julia Margaret Cameron suggests another meaning to the Annunciation story. A child's spirit visits his unsuspecting mother, not as an authoritative herald, but tender and hopeful, offering lilies and telling her he is on the way.

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