A Salty World
Salt nuisances flavors,
used the right amount it brings flavor.. But if it is used unwisely, it can
cause problems. We live in a salty world; better yet, a complexed world. Its
complexity is influenced by the many lives, governments, and diverse goals in the
world. Then the world throws in the battle of good and evil just to spice
things up.
In all these, God's
word and message has never changed. But, we use the salt of His words unwisely
sometimes to add complexity to our human existence.
The word of God is
the light of truth. We tend to hide His truth in different opinions, ideas, and
beliefs. We tend to disagree. Our disagreements turn to turmoil, riots, and violence
instead of settling them with the wisdom that comes from God. Instead of God, we
look to people. People who claim they are a people of peace. A peace salted by
the complexly of their ideas of peace. The world has always been a complexed
place.
Mirroring the
words of Isaiah and Jesus, Pope Francis said “It's hypocrisy to call yourself a
Christian and chase away a refugee or someone seeking help, someone who is
hungry or thirsty, toss out someone who is in need of help.”
But Pope Francis
was quoted in the Spanish newspaper El
Pais, “every country has the right to control its borders, especially where
the risk of terrorism exists.” Even the Pope must speak in a complex world.
This world has
always been a complexed world. The Old Testament of the Bible was written in a
complexed world. Jesus lived in a complexed world. And, Paul wrote in a complexed
world. All are salt intended to bring out our best but we tend to make them
complex.
God's message is not complex. Isaiah gave this message to a people
who had been at war, held captive, and could not trust. God's message: Share your bread with the
hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see
them, and do not turn your back on your own.
These are important
things. In these important things, Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth,
the seasoning that gives taste to life. But, salt goes stale and loses it taste. We become stale when the gospel becomes secondary in our life.
Jesus tells us we
are called to be the salt and the light. We are not called to be stale
flavorless salt. We are not a light to be kept hidden. Over the years and in times
of fear and uncertainty, even those of us who call ourselves Christians, followers
of Christ have become like stale tasteless salt. The light of Christ is hidden
under the basket that is the complexity of life.
It is hard to be a
Christian. We are to preach the gospel by who we are,
what we do and say, and by the example we give to the world. But, our message
is too many times hidden by our weakness, fear, and trembling. The sad part is
that we are not in fear and trembling of God, but a fear and trembling from our
humanness. We fear our message. We fear
we will be called weak because we stand up for love, called soft because we
care for the weak, or considered the enemy because we care for the refugee.
We can change this complex world by looking at the simple.Think of the teachings of
solidarity and subsidiarity. Solidarity, simply, is loving our neighbor (a
global concept in a shrinking world.) Subsidiarity is doing it at the simplest level
first.
In solidary and subsidiarity,
the Lord will be glorified. And, the
light of the Lord will shine in this world.
Put your faith not
in human wisdom but on the power of God then our message will be salt and light
to the world.
Be the salt and light;
preach the gospel by the way you live and love. Amen.
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