Familiarity breeds contempt...

…or so they say . Is an idiom of speech with more than a hint of truth. I want to use contempt not in a completely negative direction but rather meaning “taken for granted” or “treated as normal, usual or common.”

We do that with electricity. When you flip a switch our expectation the light is to come on. Only when it does not does it become an issue for investigation. When it does not we are in complete disbelief. Even when the power has been off for a few minutes or a few hours, as we enter another room we automatically flip the light switch and once again are surprised that the room is still dark. Of course we are again surprised when the power does come back on and the house glows because of the lights we had turned on during the “blackout.” At my house, due to a well, we have no water when the power goes off. You can get real thirsty when the power is off. I know it is in my head but…

Familiarity breeds complacency…with family. It is easier for me to be polite with strangers than it is to be polite with my family. They are family. I shouldn’t have to… Have you said that? Have you heard that? I imagine more than you care on more than one occasion. We should be polite and considerate especially to family. Thank them when they do something for you. Even the simplest task deserves recognition. You would like that so would they. It is so hard with family because we are so familiar and used to them doing it for us. Often we don’t realize how much and how often they cared for us until they cannot due to travel, schedule of death. That is sad. That is complacency brought on by familiarity.

Familiarity breeds “casualty” not as a death but treating the special as common. Husbands we do this when we fail to tell our wives we love them. They like to hear it. It does them good and you too. When Momma’s happy everybody’s happy and when Momma’s not happy…you know. It will do you good. I know the drill. “I show her every day,” you say, well then add some detail. Explain how you love her by what you are doing. Good luck with that.

Familiarity breeds…it happens with sacred things as well. As I prepared a message series on the last five days of Christ I have seen the familiarity. There is much happening to and around Jesus as his life is ending. A great deal of drama for him knowing his outcome, the urgency of completing the disciples instruction in preparation for his leaving them, the confrontations with the religious leaders and Jesus all of which can demand and consume our attention. Maybe like me you have heard these stories all of your life and even before you were born. That means we are VERY familiar with them. There is a real danger of telling the most important story ever told and failing to be changed by it, failing to be moved by it. The failure is due in no small part to our complacency because we “know” them so well, familiarity.  

In a book I am reading, the title of which escapes me, the author reminds pastors and students of the Bible of this very danger. We handle the sacred things so much that they become familiar and dare I say it common. There is that contempt I was speaking of earlier. The story of the passion of the Christ becomes everyday therefore losing its awe. There I said it. Familiarity breeds contempt with contempt meaning the loss of Awe. In matters of faith, the loss of the awe of God in the great plan with infinite details all constructed to redeem all of mankind through Jesus Christ, in matters of family the awe that they love you and will die with you, defend you and care for you YOU! We all too easily can lose our sense of Awe of God.

This spring and Easter season slow down and look for the “AWE.” The smallest purple flowers by themselves are almost invisible yet when grouped in a field makes a purple blanket of semi-transparent color. Look and listen to the laugh of a child and I dare you NOT to smile. Consider the way your wife/husband cares for you without thought or complaint. Read and meditate on the story of Easter found in scripture carefully attending to each detail of action, each word spoken and not spoken. There is AWE to be seen and discovered. The Awe of God who loves us so and knows the plans he has for us even when we don’t know them ourselves.  

It will change your outlook of the season and life!

It’s what’s for living, in AWE of God                 

       

In His Service and Yours
The Rev