"Salt of the Earth" and "Light of the World"

What do you think Jesus meant when he said that we’re “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14)? I’ve been pondering that question lately as I consider the state of our contemporary culture.

George Barna observed a few years ago from his extensive research: “Less than half of the people who describe themselves as Christian also described themselves as ‘absolutely committed to the Christian faith.’ Less than one out of every ten regular attenders of Christian churches give 10% or more of their income—a ‘tithe’—to their church. A majority of teenagers attend a Christian church today, but only one-third is likely to do so once they reach adulthood. The persecution delivered by the terrorist attacks has produced no increase in spiritual practices, such as attending worship services, reading the Bible, praying, or serving the needy. Giving levels have actually decreased this year. In fact, not even half of Americans indicated that their faith had been an important factor in helping them process the effects of the terrorist attacks.”

What’s happened to the church’s impact on its culture? Barna has also observed that “the Church in America is losing influence and adherents faster than any other major institution in the nation.” Have we become irrelevant? Is our message ineffective? Are we just wandering aimlessly trying to find our place and purpose in the world?

Unfortunately, I fear that perhaps Chuck Colson had it right in his book How Now Shall We Live? when he wrote: “We live in a culture that is at best morally indifferent. A culture in which Judeo-Christian values are mocked and where immorality in high places is not only ignored but even rewarded in the voting booth. A culture in which violence, banality, meanness, and disintegrating personal behavior are destroying civility and endangering the very life of our communities. . . . Small wonder that many people have concluded that the 'Culture war' is over and we (the church) have lost. Battle weary, we are tempted to withdraw into the safety of our sanctuaries, to keep busy by plugging into every program offered by our mega churches, hoping to keep ourselves and our children safe from the coming desolation.”

Want to hear some scary questions? “What are we doing that’s changing the world?” “How are we infiltrating and impacting our culture for Christ?” “In what ways have we been ‘salt’ and ‘light’ in our society?” I realize that I’ve asked more questions than I’ve given answers, but may they serve as food for thought as we pray for and interact with our present culture that desperately needs Jesus . . .