The American poet, essayist, and transcendentalist
philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson believed that making a difference in life is
the essential point of living. “The purpose of life,” according to him, “is not
to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have
it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
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| (Photo grabbed from www.actioncoach.com) |
As followers of Christ too, making a difference for the
world is our essential calling. It is our life-mission. Jesus, in today’s
gospel reading (Mt 5: 13-16), explains to his followers what he expects of
them. By way of images, He instructs
them about their life-mission: “You are
the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world” (v. 13-14). Let us
reflect on each of these images—salt and light—and draw the implications each
has on our Christian life.
“You are the salt
of the earth.” Salt had two important uses in the ancient
world: it gave flavor to food, and it also preserved food.
They didn’t have “magic sarap” then
or any other ready-made seasoning. They didn't
have refrigerators either, so they would preserve meat by putting a
thin layer of salt over it. So by implication, we understand that “to be the salt
of the earth” means two things for us: First, just as salt gives flavor to
food, so are we to bring “flavor” or meaning or to point out what brings lasting
joy to the lives of people around us. Second,
just as salt preserves food from decay, so Christ’s followers are called to
preserve the society from corruption and moral decadence.
Wherever we are, our presence has to make a
difference. We cannot afford to be
Christ’s followers and, at the same time, be just among the others living la vida loca, the kind of life this
world dictates. If this absorption into
the worldly value system happens, our Christian life becomes a tasteless salt. Jesus’ warning is loud and clear regarding
this possible sad state: “But if salt
loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for
anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot” (Mt 5:13). Ouch! A
Christian life that does not bring any difference into the world is useless so
to speak.
More often than not, the calling to be the salt of the
earth demands a Christian living that is counter-cultural. Serious Christians cannot live by the old
political adage that says, “If you can’t
lick ‘em, join ‘em. “ Christians do not live by what is popular; their
lives instead testify to what truly brings joy and moral uprightness which the
world oftentimes ignores. Christians, as
salt of the earth, live with joy in simplicity and deep spiritual relationship
with others and God amid the dominant materialistic trends. Christians testify
by their lives that there is true joy in purity of mind and heart, in
self-respect, in fidelity to a committed loving relationship, and in family
life despite the pervasive pleasure-seeking sexual revolution that has raised generations
who are afraid of responsibility and commitment. Christians uphold the sacred
value of life and the dignity of every person against the world’s culture of
death that discards as liabilities the poor, the defenseless fetus, the unproductive
sick and aged.
Be the salt of the earth: Make a difference in the world
by the way you live—as witness to the values of Christ.
“You are the light of
the world.” Light had the same
function then as it does now:
to push back the darkness. But in the ancient world, before the
advent of electricity, darkness was a much more dramatic reality than
it is to us. The ancients, unlike us today, understood
how helpless they were without a lamp. Hence, it was unthinkable to light a lamp and
hide it under a bushel basket. A lamp
had to be set on a stand to give light to all.
Darkness has always been equated with sin and the absence of
God. It is light that dispels darkness; light represents the saving grace and
presence of God. To be the light of the
world means that the disciples are to manifest by their good works the saving
grace and presence of God in the world. “Your
light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify
your heavenly Father” (Mt 5: 16). Our good works manifest to the world the
compassionate and loving God who is within us. In our good deeds, God is glorified.
The first reading (Is 58:7-10) recounts how Isaiah reminded
the people of Israel who just resettled from exile to give primacy to works of
charity over the empty religious rituals of fasting. Isaiah counseled them to share food to the
hungry, shelter to the homeless, clothes to the naked, and assistance to those
in need. Today, Christians are called to
commit to the works of justice, charity, peace, and the integrity of creation. Again, we cannot afford to hide in the
sacristy or in the air-conditioned adoration chapel. While prayer and contemplation
is essential to our Christian life, it ought to lead us all the more to the loving
service of the needy. Otherwise, we
might end up like a burning lamp hidden under a bushel basket.
Be the light of the world: Make a difference in this world
darkened by sin. Let your good deeds proclaim the goodness of God. “Then your light shall break forth like the
dawn” (Is. 58: 8).
