Propinquity

If you knew me you wouldn't like me

The expert

Do you know what makes someone an expert?
An expert is someone who lives more than fifty miles from you and travels with a briefcase.

We invite these experts to our church meetings, our businesses and other gatherings.

We call them the "Guest speaker".

What makes the "Guest speaker" an expert? Well, he lives more than fifty miles from his speaking venue and he shows up with a briefcase. Or maybe a backpack if he's a hipster.

We even pay these experts to come and present their goods.

Now, I'm not knocking paying knowledgeable people to come to teach others. This is a good thing.

The danger comes in when the "Guest speaker" becomes more than someone who shares knowledge. Dare I say, they become an idol?

We live in a star struck culture and the "experts" are not exempt.

May I have your autograph?

I heard one man who is definitely an "expert" say that sometimes people ask for his autograph when he goes to speaking engagements. He politely, but firmly, denies their request.
He says he does this to emphasize that he is "Just one of you". He's "Just another guy sharing what he has learned".
It's his push back to say, "Don't worship me, I'm just a dude and if you knew me you probably wouldn't like me".

Propinquity

Do you know what that means? Most don't. It's not in common usage. I learned it years ago when I realized I should have studied more in school so my vocabulary wouldn't be so lacking.
I ordered the Verbal Advantage vocabulary cassette tape series from an advertisement on the Rush Limbaugh show.
It was a great program. I really did increase my vocabulary to exponential levels so that I could become pedantic and confidently loquacious.

Propinquity is a term that describes closeness or proximity. Particularly used of kinship, but in general, anything within proximity.

After many years of life, and living in five different states and three different cultures(NE, NW, South), I have observed one commonality among people.
We don't like each other.
Particularly, we don't like those closest to us. Propinquity. I don't mean we don't love those closest to us, but we don't like them.
Why is this?
It's simple--we know each other's faults and nasty habits.
I don't have any faults or nasty habits, but I'm just trying to relate with others!

Back to the expert

When the "expert" rolls into town, we can magically erase any thoughts about his faults or habits. We envision him as having it all together. Especially if the message he delivers is good, then we really set them up on a pedestal.
The "expert" is, or rather, can be an idol. An idol is something you project your desires onto while you are served by it.
Some project their desires onto the "expert" and he serves them by delivering a clean, impersonal, relationship free message. We are free to agree or disagree with the message because, after all, the idol serves us--or does it? Who is really serving whom?

The beast

Okay, that subtitle has nothing to do with what I'm about to say, but it sounded cool.
Electronic technology has accelerated and simplified our ability to create "experts". Now, we don't even have to invite them from more than fifty miles away. Now we can just click on their link. Having many electronic experts allows us to avoid life with those near us. Those we don't like.

Has it ever dawned on you that the people who live around you are somebody else's "experts". Your propinquity people are someone else's heroes. Idols. Experts.

Back to propinquity

What is it about propinquity that makes us not like each other?

We have been going through the book of Judges as a family. Those of you who know anything about Judges know that it's not where you go to learn about how we should live.
The theme of the book is, "Every man did what was right in his own eyes".
Every chapter I remind us that we are not going to look for any moral guidelines from these people, but we will learn a lot about people. And since we are people--we will learn a lot about us.

In chapter 20 the Israelites go to battle with the Benjaminites. The most prominent thing to see in this battle is that it is mentioned multiple times that they are brothers. Propinquity.

In the place where I live and work we go to a lot of gun shootings. It is expected and usually the case that these shootings are relatives. Propinquity.

We love those closest to us, but we don't like them.

Propinquity

Jesus' propinquity

"And they said, “Is not this Joseph's son?” And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘“Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown." 

We know that Jesus "came to his own, and his own people did not receive him". Propinquity.

Our knowledge exceeds our obedience

The rise of fundamentalism in our country brought about a long wave of anti-intellectualism. I believe that, in general, we have fixed that problem. We have now swung in the other direction of becoming so theologically correct, that we may have forgotten our mission.
Do you remember who did that in Jesus' day?

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel"! 

"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life".

Teachers are great. They are a gift from God. But there is a time where we have to ask ourselves if our knowledge is exceeding our obedience.
Has information become a form of spirituality for us?

I know for me, I have ebbed and flowed, but my tendency is definitely to turn knowledge into spirituality. I read about fifty books a year. I have to be careful to not let my desire for knowledge exceed my obedience to Christ.
It has at times.

We have to keep the main thing the main thing. The main thing is Jesus, who dwells inside of us by the Holy Spirit. Propinquity.


Who is in propinquity to you? Which one of them are you avoiding because you don't like them?

Song:

When I Fall