Proximity Does Not Equal Nearness

Devotion involves motion. Sometimes abrupt, sometimes steady, sometimes slight—but devotion involves motion. But even that statement—devotion involves motion—seems like a shallow echo of its deeper punch. Devotion demands motion! However, motion is not necessarily a physical characteristic. Devotion demands motion at our spiritual core. At times devotion compels and propels us to “go out, not knowing where we are going” (Hebrew 11:8). But devotion-motion might also cycle at full-tilt internally while our feet remain at home. Devotion demands spiritual motion … and all spiritual motion intersects Calvary.

I am awed at the microcosm at Calvary. Around the crossof Christ, during the day of His crucifixion, even at the precise moment of his death at 3pm when “He breathed His last” (Luke 23:46)—a full representation of humanity orbits. Many are in physical motion that dark day; but not all motion is devotion-motion. The “centurion” (Luke 23:47) is on shift duty; initially there because he has to be there. The “crowd” (Luke 23:48) is present because, frankly, they want to be there in a disturbing circus-kind of darkness. The apostles, reduced to anonymous “acquaintances” (Luke 23:49a) are there, but not really … close enough to see, but far enough to elude identification with Christ and risk their own arrest. The “women” are there, as close as their appropriate fragility will allow, but the pain is sharp. They will be the first witnesses of the resurrection.

Within these four groups everyone is represented and every response to Calvary is demonstrated: a volitionally thoughtful response, the frenzied and cursory response, the painfully passive response, and the acutely emotional response. But proximity to Calvary does not equate nearness to Christ. The crowd is closer than the women, but the women understood the deeper punch of Calvary. The women seemed to be shoulder-to-shoulder with the apostle/acquaintances, but the apostles were elsewhere internally. The soldier ought to have been so desensitized to Roman crucifixions by this point in his career, but he kept rapt attention to all that was happening with “this Man” (Luke 23:46). All of humanity orbits Calvary, voluntarily or involuntarily, but not all land on the Mount of Crucifixion. Many hover around the vicinity of Christ, but few cling to the cross of Christ.

Devotion demands motion … motion of the spiritual nature. It is the motion that breaks the inertia of sedentary spirituality. It is the motion that moves us from onlookers to witnesses wherever our feet happen to be physically. Let me suggest taking two steps. The first step: step into the narrative … which role do you fill? The second step: wherever your starting point happens to be, step toward Christ by faith. May these two steps be the first of many as the Lord moves you from onlooker to witness. “Almost” is never close enough to the nearness of God in Christ Jesus.

Kevin Rees, April 3, 2009