Salt and Light

In today's Gospel, Christ tells His disciples to be salt and light to the world. To be preservative and to add flavor, to shine in the darkness that we all live within, and quite frankly Christians do tend to get a bad reputation that seems to be entirely the opposite of flavor and light. I'll even admit that I have a problem of being a bad example of a Christian far more often than I would care to admit; alongside that I've run into Christians who have left a very sour taste in my mouth afterwards to the point of where I have said, "Were I not a Christian, I would never become one if these people were my examples".

So that brings us to today, to how can we be salt and light in a world where most Christians are viewed as killjoys who have nothing better to do than to make people suffer? Well in Egypt the Copts seem to be doing it right by acting as human shields for their Muslim neighbors to pray during the ongoing protests, though I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that said Muslims had done the same for the Copts after a suicide bombing. And yes mainstream media, I did just use the word "suicide" instead of "homicide" in front of the bombing.

What about humanitarian works? Philanthropy? Just taking time to smile at someone and getting to know your neighbors? Really it's not that hard to think up any number of small things each day that helps to improve the life of others, even if it's something as simple as holding the door for the person behind you as you walk out, or saying hello to the cashier behind the register.

I'll be blunt folks, I know self identified pagans, atheists, and so on who put many Christians to shame in the category of trying to help people in their everyday lives, in helping people to escape from depression, in helping charities, and in general being the sort of beacon Christ demanded His followers become. I'm not saying we can change the view of Christians overnight, hardly, but just baby steps are good. Be the salt and light, even if it's just to one person.