Spiritual Corner - The “Taste” of Christians

In the Gospel reading of this Sunday, Jesus used the metaphors of “salt” and “light” to make demands on us Christians.

Salt has many uses. As a seasoning, its function lies in its salty taste. If the salt loses its taste and only the shiny appearance is left, then it becomes useless. As a preservative, it can be used to preserve food and prevent it from rotting and change in properties.

Jesus wants us Christians to become “salt”. First of all, he asks us to make use of the “taste” of Christians to “season” the world. How should Christians taste like? The answer lies in the two words, “Jesus Christ”. If a Christian does not have the image of Christ, he is not a true Christian. Therefore, the “taste” of Christians lies in imitating Christ, living according to the teachings of Jesus, and becoming more and more like Christ.

Secondly, Jesus also asks us to be the “preservative” of the world to prevent the world from decay. Strife, hatred, violence, oppression… all kinds of evil are the factors that lead to the corruption of the world. The responsibility of Christians is to live out the spirit of the Gospel, to impact the immediate environment around them, and then change the world at large.

All in all, Jesus requires us to live out our identity as Christians and to witness for him with our lives and actions. Only when we become our best selves can we influence and change the others. This is our purpose of being “salt on this earth.”

Yours,
Fr. Matthew Wang