Two words stand out in today’s Gospel from Matthew. Those words are Salt and Light. Salt is used in most foods, one as a preservative and secondly as it brings out the flavor and enhance the taste of foods. Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth, and so we’re called to enhance the flavor and spirit of the people we meet. A little kindness brings out the goodness of others. Forgiveness can change a person’s life ridding one of guilt, pain, and embarrassment. Generosity can give a person or family a chance to better their lives when the walls around them seem to be tumbling down on them.
Jesus also calls us to be light to the world. What do people see when they look at you? Are you a living example of faith? Does your beliefs in Jesus show in the actions of your life? Light brings clarity to people as they are able to see what’s around them. As light of the world, do we show people (not simply tell them) how to live lives of faith, that is, loving one another. These words of Jesus don’t complicate our lives, but make them better as we live as Jesus taught: love one another as Jesus loves us. And together, we will live in a world filled with kindness, not revenge; filled with generosity, not greed, and filled with love and not hate.