Out of the Darkness

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

– Matthew 5:10

For Christ-followers, recent headlines have been anything but encouraging. Our brothers and sisters in faith are being persecuted and killed by the thousands throughout the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Foreign aid to Christian-run hospitals and schools has been blocked by the Indian government. And according to the Christian advocacy group Open Doors, more than 340 million Christians across the globe are facing high levels of persecution and discrimination, such as through the refusal of COVID-19-related aid in Nigeria. 

It’s in troubling times like these we must remember Jesus’ admonition to some of his earliest followers:

“Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.”

What does Jesus mean by light? It’s really that “spark” or inner power that God grants each Christ-follower for demonstrating his goodness through their words and deeds. We might show it by running a much-needed errand for an elderly neighbor. Or volunteering to manage a co-worker’s project when they're struggling to finish an earlier assignment. Or it might involve cleaning up a community park, buying groceries for a shut-in or visiting the residents of an assisted living center. Ultimately, it’s about living out our faith.

As he did 2,000 years ago, Jesus also calls on his modern-day followers to be the salt of the earth — that crucial element of preservation and flavor — while we await his return. That means we’re to help prepare for his Kingdom by making the most of the different gifts and talents he’s given us. And while serving the least of his creation, we’ll become more like him along the way.

“In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served,” Jesus explains. “He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people."  

These are indeed dark times, marked by multiple levels of persecution. But it’s because of this darkness that many outside our faith are recognizing their own plight and the need for answers — as well as a brighter future. As Christ-followers, let’s turn our faith into salt and light by accepting Jesus’ invitation to help illuminate a bleak, dying world that’s so much in need of our Savior’s guidance, truth and love.