Salt & Light
Jesus called his disciples to be salt and light in a dying world. The thought of living in a dying world could sound depressing, but it isn’t.
From the moment he showed up on the scene, Jesus was spreading good news, “The Kingdom of God is here!” He inaugurated an invasion. He announced a new era was breaking into the contemporary situation.
To be SALT is to preserve the things that are good. God made a beautiful universe. And while the prevailing progressive worldview would reduce reality to things that can be weighed on a scale or measured under a microscope, most cultures have known that there is a moral law woven into the world.
This law, written into our very being, is worth following. It’s not exclusively “Christian.” It is a blueprint for human flourishing. It as immovable as gravity.
In his book, The Abolition of Man, C. S. Lewis wrote about this law, calling it the Tao:
“The Tao, which others may call Natural Law or Traditional Morality or the First Principles of Practical Reason or the First Platitudes, is not one among a series of possible systems of value. It is the sole source of all value judgments. If it is rejected, all value is rejected. If any value is retained, it is retained. The effort to refute it and raise a new system of value in its place is self-contradictory. There has never been, and never will be, a radically new judgment of value in the history of the world. What purport to be new systems or…ideologies…all consist of fragments from the Tao itself, arbitrarily wrenched from their context in the whole and then swollen to madness in their isolation, yet still owing to the Tao and to it alone such validity as they posses.”
Over the last few weeks, our Friday subscriber posts have been focused on the Progressive movement. This century-long, secular utopian vision birthed contemporary LGBTQ+ ideology. As we have seen, the contemporary LGBTQ+ movement is eroding standards that are good for everyone.
Christians are called to fight against this erosion. Not because we’re trying to get unbelievers to act like disciples. But because we’re trying to help everyone live more like humans. The abandonment of the moral law does not erase the consequences of living as if there isn’t one.
To be LIGHT is a uniquely Christian enterprise. While salt preserves what is good in the age that is passing away, light projects hope of a new age emerging. The Kingdom of God.
As believers, it is not enough to preserve. We are called to promote. Through redeemed lives and flourishing communities, we invite everyone to step into a world that Jesus alone makes possible. We are called to shine like the City of God in a dying age.
Another way of saying this: We can’t just be about the “No.” Likewise, we can’t just be about the “Yes.” When we stand and battle against the eroding force of LGBTQ+ ideology, we’re actually fighting for everyone to have a better life. When we demonstrate the love, peace and beauty of the Kingdom, we’re inviting everyone to step into eternal life. Both functions are irreducible elements of Kingdom witness.
Whether we’re ready or not, every single believer and every single Christian family is part of this. It is not an exaggeration to say that the family is the last great hope of our society. It has been under attack for decades. And the foundations have been shaken.
In so many ways, this moment is unique in history. But we are a unique people, the Body of Christ. And we have a unique power, the Holy Spirit. We are guided by a unique truth, God’s Word.