Salt and Light

I love fall. The changes that take place like the chill in the air and the leaves turning colors make me so excited. There’s nothing better than curling up with a good book and a blanket, maybe with some cocoa, and just enjoying life, you know? The other day I was talking to my roommate and we agreed that it was definitely time to turn off the air conditioning and start stopping at Starbucks before class in the morning.

I like my roommate a lot. For the sake of her privacy, I’ll call her Jane. We get along really well and have lots of similar qualities. At first I was surprised that we hit it off because she is not a Christian, but after a while I realized that I had to start reshaping the way I view people who don’t have the same faith as myself. I’m pretty sure you know exactly what I mean. When we (Christians) tend to think of atheists or people of other religions, we sort of shift them to a lesser level than us, incapable of having the same morals or standards or lifestyles. However, I’ve learned that this idea is the exact thing that makes Christianity so unappealing to other people—we come off as stuck-up, rude, and hypocritical. How can we show the love of Christ when we are so condescending? It’s something God has definitely been showing me as I’ve been here at Carolina, where almost everyone has a different worldview and probably some sort of liberal background. It’s important that we, as disciples of Christ, make ourselves approachable. What were the two greatest commandments? To love God, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Truthfully, the majority of my friends here do not know the Father. They are all “good people”, nice and friendly, who think they are living their life as best they can and that’s all there is to it. What they don’t realize is that they are living it for themselves, and that sort of lifestyle leads ultimately to destruction. While Jesus doesn’t call us to judge them or think lesser of them, He does call us to share Him with them. That alone is a life-changing event, and one that is a necessity in our walk. How can we claim to love Him if we are ashamed to speak His Name? And if you don’t like asking yourself that question, how can you claim to love your friends, and yet let them lead lives that are far, far below the Father’s standard? Maybe, if I may be so bold as to say, there is a heart issue going on here— I know there was for me. God has been breaking the pride in me, and showing me that all peoples are worthy of the Gospel; I am no more important to Him than the homeless man on Franklin Street, using dog tricks to beg for money. Once I realize who I am in relation to who He is, it is so much easier to share Him with my unsaved friends, who need a Savior just as much as me.

The Father calls us to be holy. In Hebrew, the word for “holy” is qadosh; it means, “to be set apart.” It’s interesting— so many times I think we struggle to find a way to evangelize or talk about God, when really, it is very simple. Set yourself apart. You don’t have to run screaming from people who don’t believe; you don’t have to wither underneath someone’s stare if they ask you to explain God to them. The best way, I’ve found, to share Jesus with people is to let them see Him in my life. Believe it or not, others do notice. This requires being intimate with Jesus, which may be far harder than simply telling your friend a Bible story. As you walk with Him, you’ll find Him challenging you to be more and more qadosh every day.
-Kristina