“I believe the story surrounding this photo with the cross is truly incredible and I could easily write a book on what it means to me, how it has affected me and the overwhelming impact and positive response it has on almost every person who has seen it over the past 13 years. +
“I originally called this photo, ‘The Mountain That Shook.’ It was taken while I was visiting my sister Sherrie in India in November 2005. It was on my fifth or sixth day in India when she pointed to the mountain near her accommodation and said ‘the mountain seemed to rumble, it came across the ravine and then shook the house.’ It was the ‘2005 Kashmir earthquake’ where Pakistan had suffered hundreds of thousands of injuries, losses of life and left millions homeless.
+
“I took a number of photos of the mountain as we were leaving town, most of which are blurry and unclear except this one: a beautiful, undeniably spectacular cross of light which I could not capture again. I was using my old Motorola flip phone with a 1.3-megapixel camera.
+
“For a couple of days I didn’t really remember taking it. Then, while on a plane to southern India a day or so later, I looked out of the window at the setting sun, took a photo with my phone and had an overwhelming feeling that has never subsided. This is a feeling that can only be described by me as love, warmth, and faith inspiring, combined with a desperate need to share it with everyone possible.
+
“Occasionally over the years since, the feeling was not as prominent in my mind; however in the most unexpected and strange ways it would always resurface. Once reminding me of itself when I glanced at the television and saw the Pope was dressed in pure white with bishops dressed in black with magenta bands around their waists on either side of him. Every time I would experience that same overwhelming feeling and be reminded that it has a greater purpose. I feel, as time goes by, that keeping it to myself is increasingly selfish.
+
“The photo has consistently drawn positive and overwhelming reactions from almost everyone I have shown it to. From various clergy members to non believers, almost all shown are charged with an energy and inspiration after seeing it. Strangely though, it has taken 13 years to finally get it to the rest of the world. It holds such great value to me that I have always been hesitant about releasing it. ‘Will someone steal it or abuse it or will they unfairly or naively criticize it?’ The truth is, it could be these people who need it most.
+
“I firmly believe that the right thing needs to be done with this Cross of Light. It should be available to all people while contributing to groups in need. The only way to achieve this in my opinion is by offering it as a photo gift. In doing this it would give the photo the best opportunity to be seen on any one of thousands of personalized gifts. A bookmark, photo pendant, Christmas cards, calendars, photo blankets, cushion covers, car scents, fridge magnets, clocks etc. The list of potential gifts is only limited to the imagination of people and the products that printing companies can offer. It’s a great way to give a gift to a person, whilst at the same time donating a percentage to help people in need of assistance.
+
“There’s still so much more I can write… but what I’m really trying to convey is my belief in the true power of this photograph. People interested in photo gift products can order via:
+
Email: (glengarcia@thecrossoflight.
Facebook Page: the cross of light
(Footnote from above news website: “On October 8, 2005, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake shook the Kashmir region, a disputed territory controlled in part by Pakistan and India, along with sections of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. More than 80,000 people perished as a result of the quake, while an estimated four million others were left homeless.”]
© GLEN GARCIA 2005 – PRESENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED