Scripture Reading(s)
Matthew 5:13-14
13You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Reflections
On the eave of this year’s Halloween it is important to remember that while celebrating such a holiday is not inherently evil we still want to make sure we are representing Christ. None of our holidays are of 100% Christian origin. They have all been influenced by the cultures that the church has been a part of over the centuries. We can take almost any holiday and make it a Holy Day if we honor God with our behavior and use it as a tool to love others as Christ loved others.
Jesus spoke of just such things when he told His disciples that they were the salt of the earth and the light of the world. In a world filled with darkness we are the light of Christ. Like the salt in ancient times we both preserved and seasoned the world around us. Christ expects that we will be surrounded by those who do not know Him. That is even more true on days which we would now consider secular holidays. We don’t have to sit on the sidelines. Salt is not useful unless it’s in contact with the object it’s seasoning. Light cannot drive out darkness if it’s separated by a barrier. Rather, we must engage the culture as Jesus did and redeem it.