Proximity - Noun

Webster definition - the quality or state of being next in time, place, causation, influence, etc.; immediate nearness, either in place, blood, or alliance.WordNet definition - the property of being close together, the region close around a person or thing, a Gestalt principle of organization holding that (other things being equal) objects or events that are near to one another (in space or time) are perceived as belonging together as a unit.Last year my wife created the blog Define Something http://definesomething.wordpress.com/ Her purpose in creating this blog was to throw out a word and get different perspectives on it. This helps all of us to grow in our understanding of it and learn to see things from others world view. This is what I would like to do with the word proximity. Please share any of your thoughts on the word and how it relates to your culture or life.Distant, remote, isolate, alone, independent, & self reliant are what we have become as a white middle & upper class society in America. This is definately a generalization and simply what I have witnessed in my own family experience and Christian church culture. Living in close proximity with family members and friends was once a key value in our society, but has become less and less over the last sixty years. It has been replaced with physical stuff & busyness which in the long run produces stress, loneliness, & unfulfillment. Proximity was one of the keys to following Christ in the early church (Acts 2-5). Living daily together was crucial to survival and sustainability of being a disciple of Christ. This is only a launching point on the proximity discussion and hopefully we will begin to rediscover the lost value of proximity in our lives.
- Lee -