Proximity

Every Friday, I strive to send out a devotional for our church. And, seeing how this one provides an anecdotal story from life, it seemed appropriate for the blog as well ... enjoy.

Our various texts for this week strike a similar chord in my thinking: proximity. Psalm 8 reminds us God has created us in close proximity to Himself. Meanwhile, the Gospel text of Mark soberly reminds us of our constant tendency to wrestle over the best seats and finest positions – to remain in proximity of popular people and places while neglecting James’ call to draw near to God or Jesus’ call to draw near to the least of the world. We – as human beings – have a great deal of insecurity about how special we are. We forget – as Psalm 8 tells us – that we are made just “a little lower than God” and God’s glory. And in forgetting we end up expending a great deal of energy trying to prove we are special or separate.

I just got back from a trip to Pasadena this week, which meant a few flights for me. Airplane travel is a textbook example of the “First & Last” principle and the value we place on proximity. People do just about anything to get into “first class” seating, but for those who cannot accrue the miles, they now have another option: exit row seats for $15.

I didn’t pay the $15 to sit in an exit row, but as I boarded the plane, I did notice that the exit seats were remaining empty. “The flight is underbooked,” I thought to myself. “Could it be my lucky day?” But before I could work up the courage to move out of my seat and into the exit row, another couple took my idea and moved passed me … right into the exit row.

Now, I need to tell you a little more. There was already a gentleman sitting in the exit row up against the window. His chair was directly in front of mine. So, I had a front row view for the drama that was about to play out.

Alright, so back to where I was: the couple moved past me to sit in the exit row. As soon as the couple sat down – complete with smiles – the gentleman who paid for the seat turned to the couple and coldly asked, “did you pay $15 to sit here?” You could cut the tension with a knife.

Now, of course, the couple did not pay $15, and they awkwardly tried to bull their way through this conversation with a completely irrelevant point, “we just couldn’t stand it back there; there was no leg room.” At which point the gentleman disgustedly turned his head to the window and did not say another word the rest of the flight.

I felt ashamed and embarrassed. Embarrassed that it has become so inconvenient to be around other people. Ashamed that I could have easily been the one to plop down in the exit row – taking the best seat remaining. I started to realize how frequently I try to get away from little children on planes.

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If plane cabins were a practice test for carrying out Jesus’ commands of loving others and seeking to be first, many of us – including me – would flat out fail. How many of us are truly willing to give up the best seat on the plane in order to serve someone else? How many of us are willing to do likewise in our everyday life – at home, at work, on Frederica Street while driving?

God continues to encourage us with the reminder that we truly are special – made in God’s image (Psalm 8). And, God continues to challenge us to use our greatness not for ourselves but for the greatness of others. Such is the way of Christ (Mark 9:30-37).