BEACONS OF LIGHT

The concept that Christ, working through His people, can be the transformer of culture strikes at the heart of Jesus' words in Matthew 5:13-16 where Jesus tells us that we, His followers, are to be salt and light.  Salt transforms the physical properties of that which it touches.  It brings out the goodness in food and was used as a preservative that kept meats from spoiling.  It is essential for life and it has certain healing properties.  Jesus had all of this and more in mind when He challenged His followers to be salt.  Imagine the impact that the church -- and we as individual Christians -- might have on our culture if we were truly being the salt of the earth!  What would this look like?  And what of light?  We are called to be the light of the world -- a city set upon a hill that cannot be hidden.  A flashlight illuminates the right path through the woods on a dark night, showing the potential pitfalls along the way.  A lighthouse offers guidance and warning to keep the ships from certain peril.  A night-light brings comfort to my daughter as she goes to sleep each night.  Daylight allows us to see the world as it really is.  There seems to be no shortage of dark places in our world -- where the blind seem to lead the blind, or where people live in fear, or are in constant danger of shipwreck.  How important that there should be beacons of light, showing compassion, care, and a purposeful and illuminated life for others to see.

-- Adam Hamilton in “Confronting the Controversies”

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