Familiarity and Rarity On December 6, 1884, the construction of the Washington Monument was completed when its apex was capped with an eight-inch, one-hundred-ounce pyramid of aluminum, which was, until then, the largest piece of aluminum ever cast. It might seem odd that such an important national memorial would be topped with metal as common and cheap as aluminum now is, rather than with gold, silver, or something similarly precious. Yet, at the time aluminum was selected, it was valued at $1.10 an ounce, the same as the price of silver. Though aluminum is one of earth’s more common elements, it would be another two years before an inexpensive means of extracting it from ore was finally discovered. Though the cost of aluminum plummeted from that point on, that piece of aluminum, now made precious for its place, still graces the top of the spire overlooking the nation’s capital. This is a reminder that rarity is what makes something precious. Once it becomes abundant, it becomes cheap. Silver is cherished only as long as it is hard to come by. King Midas’ story teaches that not even gold is prized if it is everywhere within reach of one’s touch. Familiarity is the opposite. The dictionary defines “familiar” as “often encountered or seen; common.” It comes from the Latin word familia, meaning “family.” The connection between “family” and “familiar” consists in the fact that it is within the family that one has his most common and intimate experiences with others. As a result, family members are “familiar” with each other, and often not in a good way. The fact is that items and people being that common in one’s life can cause him to treat them cheaply and can even lead to a breakdown in decorum and order. Thus, in the worst cases, “familiarity” refers to the casualness expressive of disrespect for those in authority or even to the impropriety of sexual advances. All of this has long been recognized in the expressions, “familiarity breeds contempt,” “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” or “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.” This kind of “familiarity” can be observed in the setting where the word originated. Family members can see one another so often in the casual setting of the home that they have no scruples about mistreating one another. There is “sibling rivalry” and fights between husbands and wives, who would not dare treat others the way they treat each other. So, familiarity can mean to treat someone as not precious, because one has interacted with him or her so often that one no longer values that person or interacts respectfully, kindly, and caringly with him or her. Likewise, this same bad side of familiarity can be shown to the heavenly Father. Religious activities can become so familiar to a person that they cease to be special. With the loss of novelty often comes the loss of reverence. That is why, if people go to church meetings at all, they might arrive late, appear in dirty or disheveled clothing, sleep during sermons, and even address God in prayer as “Daddy.” Such informality, not only reflects, but can also foster disrespect, which, in turn, can encourage a casual attitude toward obedience to God. About worship in the church, Paul said, “But let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner” (1 Cor. 14:40), and Solomon said, “Guard your steps as you go to the house of God … . Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth …” (Eccl. 5:1,2). So, when approaching people, one must keep his mind on heaven, and when approaching God, his feet on earth. to decide what they wanted their gods to be. Hence, it is an insidious form of idolatry for people to see Jesus only as they wish. Many create a distorted picture of Jesus by selecting out of Scripture those images they prefer and neglecting the opposite ones of the “Un-Jesus” they dislike. Yet, no one gets to accept Jesus only on the terms they like. He must be accepted in His totality, or not at all. To be deceived into thinking otherwise will only lead to a very unpleasant surprise. “Do homage to the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled …” (Psa. 2:12).

“And the king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem … . And all King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold … . None was of silver; it was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon …” (1 Kings 10:27a,21).