Pastor’s Corner
“You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:13a and 14a)
A number of years ago The Daily Bread had this article which I thought was a good reminder of what the Christian’s life should be:
“If God had chosen to, He could have taken us home to Heaven immediately following our conversion. But He didn’t. He wants us to remain here on earth to be an influence for holiness in the middle of a morally polluted society. Jesus used metaphors of “salt” and “light” to describe the preserving and enlightening effects we should have in our world.
“The following story illustrates this same truth, but uses a different analogy: One midsummer evening a Christian entered a bee garden to observe the habits of those fascinating little insects. He noticed that a continuous hissing sound seemed to flow from the hives in a wavelike rhythm. The old beekeeper whispered, “They are fanner bees. They keep the hive sweet and fresh. If you could see them, you’d notice that they stay near the center of the colony and their wings are moving so rapidly that they appear almost like a gray mist. They’re forcing the bad air out while the pure air is being drawn in. You can actually feel the gentle breeze produced by those numerous tiny bee wings.” The keeper then said to his interested guest, “Those fanners — pushing out bad air and bringing in fresh — isn’t that the way people who call themselves Christians ought to act?”
“Our sphere of influence may not extend beyond the home, a small circle of friends in the office, or our companions in school. But we can be a light in the darkness and have a preserving effect like salt. Or putting it in terms of today’s story, we can “freshen the air” where we live and work.
Only one life, so live it well
And keep your candle trimmed and bright;
Eternity, not time, will tell
The radius of that candle’s light
— Miller
Thought: If your life doesn’t shed light, it casts a shadow.
— The Rev. Ben A. Saathoff is senior minister at Tonganoxie Christian Church.