Salt and Light

DateLine (9/21/05 – Ponce, Puerto Rico)

The “Convention Center” and the “Superdome;” both conjure up visions of a total meltdown of society. The city of New Orleans had just been hit by what some have termed one of the greatest natural disasters to ever strike the United States. Many unfortunate and unlucky found themselves trapped in a city with no essential services; no electricity, no water, no sewage, no police. Desperate people caught in a dangerous situation. The very sanctuaries that were devised for their salvation became tombs of civility.

Women drug screaming into dark corners to be taken advantage of while bystanders looked on without offering assistance because they were afraid, mutilated corpses lay exposed to the stares of innocent children, sporadic gunfire that kept the outnumbered law enforcers sequestered in their own safe havens. This was no Hollywood invention, this happened in our country just weeks ago. How could this be?

People are routinely challenged by natural disasters. As unsettling and uprooting as they are it infrequently leads to the abandonment of the constraints of an orderly civilization. What happened in New Orleans?

The Bible says in Matthew chapter 5, 13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Ever wondered what society would look like without Godly influence. Ever wondered what hell will be like. Rerun your TiVo of CNN coverage in the aftermath of Katrina. Sometimes the way to determine the impact of something is to remove its influence. Un-Godly people acting in an un-Godly manner; the fabric of society unraveling around the edges. You are salt and light. Our very manner of life depends on you. You are the seasoning of society. Unfortunately we now have some vivid pictures of what our own country would be like if God’s influence were instantly removed. Go forth and be “salty.”