Being in the World but Not of It

In This Chapter

Exploring why Jesus said his followers are “salt and light”

Looking at five approaches Christians take for living in the world

Diving into the messy world of politics

Dealing with hot potato issues such as war, the death penalty, and abortion

Have you ever bitten into a bay leaf that was mistakenly left in spaghetti sauce or soup? If you have, you know it’s not a very pleasant sensation. Bay leaves are a great seasoning to add to a recipe, but they’re sure not made for eatin’. Clearly, bay leaves are meant to be in the sauce when you cook it, but not part of the sauce when you eat it.

Jesus Christ prayed for his followers, asking his Father to help them become something like those bay leaves when it comes to living in the Great Spaghetti Pot of Society:

I pray not that you would take my followers from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil son. They are not of the world even as I am not of the world... As you sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world.

-John 17:15-16, 18

You may wonder, What exactly does it mean to be in the world, but not of it? Should Christians work to create heaven on earth? Should they hide in caves and wait for the Lord to return? Or should they take a balanced position in between?

Although the Bible provides guidelines for how Christians should carry out Christ’s mandate to live in the world (a common Christian phrase referring to the sinful earth), the Church has struggled for centuries over how to put those principles into practice on Main Street, Wall Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, and Hollywood Boulevard. In this chapter, you discover how Christians wrestle with their role in society and politics and how they deal with a world that has values quite different from those of biblical Christianity.

Being Salt and Light for the World

Jesus Christ tells his followers that they’re to live in society alongside nonbelievers because he has a specific objective for them to focus on: being salt and light to the rest of the world. Jesus wasn’t telling people to become condiments or bulbs that plug into lamps. Instead, as the next sections describe, Jesus wants Christians to impact the world around them.

Adding zest with salt

First, Jesus tells his followers that they’re the salt of the earth. He says in Matthew 5:13-14:

You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.

On first take, the “salt of the earth” imagery doesn’t mean much to me. Salt is that white stuff that I sprinkle on French fries, so the metaphor ends up sounding to me much the same as “You are the ketchup of the earth.” But when you understand how people used salt back in the first century, you begin to see why Jesus used this saline-laden illustration.

Salt was a valuable commodity before the days of refrigerators and picnic coolers, because it preserves food from decay. It was also handy for cleansing boo-boos on Johnny’s knee, and, much like today, for seasoning and flavoring food. Therefore, Jesus was saying that Christians are like salt as they

Preserve a decaying world by seeking God’s justice and righteousness in the world to fight off evil and counter its harmful effects.

Cleanse wounds of broken hearts by showing grace and compassion to others, particularly those who are hurting, in need, or in despair.

Flavor the world with the hope of the Good News of Jesus by telling the world about the Christian gospel.

Salt’s not effective when you simply place it alongside food or a wound. In order for salt to do its thing, you must apply it: Salt works as a preservative when you rub it onto meat, as a cleanser when you apply it to a wound, and as a flavoring when you add it on top of food. Similarly, a Christian can’t preserve, cleanse, or flavor the world if he or she doesn’t interact with others.

At the same time, Jesus balances this message by warning Christians about diving headfirst into the world and, as a result, being no different from anyone else around them. In the first century, salt was easy to ruin if not handled properly, and after it was ruined, salt was useless. In the same way, when Christians forget about being obedient to Christ and begin conforming to the world, they lose their effectiveness.