They probably didn't expect the answer, "Not great. We buried Granddaddy today." But they had a great response: They comped their meal and gave the kids little plush cows.
Turns out you can learn a lot from a cow.
Chick-fil-a has a reputation for a couple of things. One is being very kind. Besides giving grieving kids dolls, they help people in their communities and give free food to people who are protesting them.
The other thing is being closed on Sunday. They give up 14% of possible sales to honor God and give their employees a chance to go to church, spend time with family, and simply rest.
They're known for what they say no to and for what they say yes to. This was not supposed to be an article about Chick-fil-a, but those plush cows came to mind when I was contemplating what it means to be salt and light.
We're familiar with Jesus' instructions: "You are the salt of the earth. ... You are the light of the world ... let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt 5:13-16).
In that era, salt was primarily a preservative. You added salt to your meat to keep it from spoiling. Light pushes away the darkness. It reveals dangers and allows us to find our way in the dark.
Surely, if words mean anything, we are meant to learn from these two figures, that there must be something marked, distinct, and peculiar about our character, if we are true Christians. It will never do to idle through life, thinking and living like others, if we mean to be owned by Christ as His people. Have we grace? Then it must be seen. Have we the Spirit? Then there must be fruit. Have we any saving religion? Then there must be a difference of habits, tastes, and turn of mind, between us and those who think only of the world. It is perfectly clear that true Christianity is something more than being baptized and going to church. "Salt" and "light" evidently imply peculiarity both of heart and life, of faith and practice. (JC Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, emphasis in original)
There was a time in the not too distant past when Christians, especially a certain kind, were known for being peculiar. But it wasn't always a good peculiarity. They got legalistic about it, put hedges around their hedges, and did their best to make Christianity look like a lifestyle of being unhappy. For instance, they said gambling was wrong, and some people gambled with cards, so cards were wrong. Um, Go Fish is not Poker.
The goal is not difference for the sake of being different. The goal is to make a difference.
Intentional sojourning in the world as salt and light requires that we know who we are and what makes us different from the world. It isn’t just a religious title. We must speak the truth of the gospel for people to know it, but we are called to live the truth of the gospel for people to see that it is real. (Michael Wilkins, NIVAC Matthew, emphasis in original)
What does that entail?
It requires seeing where the world has run off the rails and refusing to join in. Conspicuously. It means not being like them when they're not being like Jesus.
The most obvious application is our entertainment choices. Whether we go see a movie in theaters or stream it, we're telling the people who make such things that we want to see more of that. When we watch movies with nudity or sex, that glorify violence, or preach nihilism or naturalism, we tell Hollywood to make more of those. We should avoid such things because we don't need that in our minds, but we're actually loving our neighbors when we discourage the entertainment industry from making things that are bad for our neighbors.
Another application would be our time priorities. Once upon a time, kids' sports teams didn't practice on Wednesday evening because of church. Now they have games on Sunday morning. And Christians skip church so their children can play. They send a message to their children that church is only important if you have nothing better to do. They send the same message to the people who schedule those games. "But if we won't commit to Sunday games, my child can't be on the team." Yeah. And that might ruin your child's 0.1% chance of getting a scholarship. And it might save a child's soul.
Being salt might look like refusing to join in certain conversations, maybe excusing yourself when gossip or certain jokes start to fly. It might look like being the only person who doesn't fudge their expense reports. It might look like not sharing a hilarious meme that is more about laughing at the other side than making a point. It might be refusing to participate in our culture's materialism with a conspicuous simplicity (cf, 1Tim 6:8, Prov 30:8-9) for Jesus' sake.
It's trite, but asking "would Jesus do that" is a good place to start. It's not something to be legalistic or "holier than thou" about. We just want to honor God and help our neighbor.
Saying no to things the culture embraces is an act of love. So is saying yes to the good. Let them know you go to church, but that's not enough. They need to see in your daily life that you follow Jesus.
What did Jesus teach in the Sermon on the Mount? Forgive, avoid lust, be faithful to your spouse, be honest, be generous, treat people as you want to be treated, love your enemy. Shine your light "that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt 5:16), but not for their applause (6:1-4). If you want their applause, that's all you'll get — and truthfully, most people will be repulsed. But if you honestly want them to see Jesus in you, your humility will be visible. And so will Jesus.
We need to remember the rest of the verse: "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot" (Matt 5:13).
If the salt isn't salty, it's no longer good for anything. That's not what we want to hear from the Lord. We want to hear, "Well done!"
What do you need to say no to? What do you need to say yes to?
Odds are already you're doing some things. That's great, but we can all do more. So spend some time reflecting on the ways you're tempted to conform to the world (Rom 12:2) and make some hard decisions. It's probably best to start with one change at a time. But start making them. Be the salt we're meant to be.
Image via Pixabay
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