On Familiarity

“By His power He stilled the sea; by His understanding He shattered [the storm]. By His wind the heavens were made fair; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent. Behold, these are but the outskirts of His ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of Him!” ~Job 26:12-14

There’s an old saying with which I’m sure you’re familiar: Familiarity breeds contempt. This phrase is found as early as the 5th century AD in the writings of Augustine of Hippo. It means that extensive experience of something leads to a loss of respect or wonder. Is this anywhere more true than with God’s creation?

The universe is filled with colors beyond our imagination — not only the colors we can see (the visible spectrum), but also parts of the electromagnetic spectrum that aren’t, strictly speaking, color. These include the ultraviolet and infrared spectrum, gamma rays, X-rays, microwaves, and radio waves. These are just the ones we know about. It is truly remarkable how much “color” exists in God’s universe. Have you looked at the leaves lately? How about the sky? Try counting the number of colors you can see in the next five minutes. You won’t even have a name for them all!

How about texture? On a short, barefoot walk through the woods you could feel soft grass, smooth stones, squishy moss, crunchy leaves, wet puddles, sharp pinecones, and much more. God has filled His creation with texture for us to enjoy. Then there’s food! Each meal is a veritable cornucopia of texture, from vegetables to starches to raw fish to baked pie crust! Compare the snap of a carrot to a melting piece of dark chocolate. So many textures to enjoy!

The human nose can detect over one trillion distinct odors (this can be a blessing and a curse simultaneously!). And we are near the bottom of the barrel when it comes to olfactory sense. A dog has a sense of smell one hundred thousand times more sensitive than a human's. A shark can detect blood in water at a ratio and distance that is unmatched. African elephants reign as the uncrowned champion of smell in the animal world. Or is that skunks? I guess it depends on what you mean by “champion of smell.” 

I’ve mentioned nothing of flavors, of sounds, of vistas, of the number of stars or galaxies. These are but the outskirts of His ways. How small a whisper of God’s glory do we hear in all His creation! Yet we find ourselves mindlessly experiencing the wonder of all He’s made without ever offering Him thanksgiving for it. Our familiarity with His creation has bred contempt for the wonder it is meant to elicit. It’s time we start being more mindful of the beauty and glory of God displayed in the “ordinary” features of life in His universe. The next time you look at a leaf, consider God’s glory in color. The next time you rub a stone between your fingers, worship the Lord for His glory in texture. The next time you smell a pie coming out of the oven, give thanks for God’s majesty in smell — and for pie! 

Let’s be Christians whose gratitude knows no end, for the list of things about which we ought to be grateful certainly is endless. 

Rev. Kyle Lockhart, Pastor of Teaching & Spiritual Formation