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Ministry of Proximity

Many people love the Bible; that goes without saying.  People have bet their whole lives on an idea or concept in the Bible.  Others literally have given their lives for what the Bible stands for and we celebrate them as witnesses and martyrs of the faith.  Others of us like the Bible, but we are not willing to go as far as the ones just mentioned.  Of course, there are other Christians (and Jews) who claim to be people of the faith, but barely know what scripture says.  What’s more, knowing what scripture says is not all that important to them!

Having said all of this, I am aware that most of us know the Bible---either the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) or the New Testament in some version of translation.  For the most part, folks I know read it in English.  But even saying that, there are multiple English versions.  If you put some of them side by side, it can be difficult to realize they are translating the same Hebrew or Greek text.  No translation is devoid of influences from the person who is doing the translation.  I know Greek decently well and often return to the Greek text to see for sure what the text says.  For example, the English text may have the word, love, in it.  But I want to know which of the three or four Greek words for love is being translated.  It might make a difference.

This is the context in which I was recently sitting in worship when the scripture for the morning was going to be read.  I recognized the reading, John 1:1-14, which is very familiar to me since I taught the Gospel of John many times.  I know I would hear, “In the beginning..”  And we would come to one of my favorite texts, John 1:14, which tells us “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”  This is the core text for the incarnation---the affirmation that God came personally into our world.  It is central to my incarnational theology.  

The reading began, but quickly I realized the reader was using the wonderful translation from Eugene Peterson, called The Message.  I think Peterson has done a great job of bringing the Greek text alive into our English language understanding.  He was not worried about being precise to the original meaning, although he is scholarly enough to do it.  Instead he wanted normal readers to get a sense of what the text meant to the audience to hear Jesus or Paul and the others.  I appreciate his efforts.

Peterson renders my favorite John 1:14 text in this manner.  “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.  We say the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.”  The beginning part of the translation is close to other translations.  The Word of God became flesh, became human.  That is incarnation.  

But then comes the part that resonates with me in a fresh way.  This God-become-human Jesus moved into the neighborhood.  What a cool way to put it.  The incarnation is the reality of a new neighbor!  I smile.  In some neighborhoods this new neighbor would not be welcome.  His skin color is likely not Scandinavian white like mine.  He is Middle Eastern and more likely olive-skin color.  Although he bore an incredible treasure in an earthen vessel, I am not sure he looked quite the right kind economically speaking for our neighborhood.  Right away some of us could see problems---not solutions!

But wait a minute.  People of faith already should know that incarnationally God has moved into our neighborhood.  We affirm that God came into the world and spiritually is everywhere.  God is not really interested in us making exceptions to this rule.  We might not recognize this, but it is true.  God is everywhere.  That’s good news.  We should celebrate it, join in the presence of process of that incarnation and act on it.

Peterson has given me a fresh way of understanding our action---our ministry.  If God has become Jesus and moved into the neighborhood, then God is proximate to all of us---that is, God is near us.  This is the clue.  God is near all of us.  And those of us who feel that closeness---that presence---and feel called to act out of this spiritual presence are given what I want to call a ministry of proximity.  Most of our service---our ministry---will be nearby.  It will be to our neighbors.  

Our neighbors may literally be the woman next door.  It might be in the grocery story, the hospital or local jail.  It might even be in the church or Quaker meetinghouse.  I have done ministry in a car, at McDonald’s and on a run.  One never knows.  Sometimes our ministry is planned.  We have a date in our calendar.  Other invitations to ministry are serendipity, happening in the moment with someone we do not even know. 

This fresh insight makes me more aware.  I want to be aware of all that is in my proximity.  Proximity provides opportunities.  They provide opportunities for witnessing and for martyrdom.  Oh, I’m not likely to die for the faith.  But maybe I am called to kill my ego in the moment for the sake of someone else’s need.  After all, it is not all my glory.  

I love knowing God has moved into the neighborhood. 

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