We live in a troubled America. We live in a divided America. We should realize that we cannot trust our educators, politicians, or statesmen to lead us out of our spiritual, moral, social, and political darkness. Why did the Church grow so weak and the world so wicked over the last 75 years?
Before we blame the unbelievers and the unchurched for the mess we are in, we had better think about something Jesus warned His believers about. In Matthew’s Gospel (chapter 5, verse 13) Jesus said to His believers, “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” Actually, Jesus used two symbols to describe the influence that Christians are to have on preserving a community or a nation. There are certain foods that require salt to give the flavor needed to make it palatable. And salt is also a preserver. Before we had iceboxes and refrigerators, salt was one of the main means of preserving.
And then in Matthew’s Gospel (chapter 5, verse 14) Jesus tells us that we Christians are “the light of the world.” Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun onto the darkened side of the earth, so the Church is to reflect the love of Jesus as the Son of righteousness to the darkened world in which we live. We Christians are to be like a city that is set on a hill. We are to shine for Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We are to so live as to be winsome—full of love and good will—and help those who are willing to believe to become light also in their homes, churches, and communities.
