Jesus commanded Christians to be “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-16).  The second part of that calling—to be the “light of the world”—tends to make more sense to us.  We know how necessary light is where there isn’t any.  It is easy for us to translate that into our need to be light in order to dispel gloom (and there is no shortage of that!).

The first part, though, doesn’t resonate so well.  Salt?  Really? 

Cabbage Night is fast approaching! What? You’ve never heard of Cabbage Night? Well, neither had I until I read about it. Apparently, it used to be another name, somewhat locally, for Halloween.

One of my favorite quotes is from author Tom Peters:
“Celebrate what you would like to see more of.” It is a simple quote but reveals a profound approach to life.

It seems like our country is becoming more polarized and angry by the day.
 
Maybe that is why my reference to random acts of kindness in last week’s sermon garnered such a response. As I mentioned in the sermon, in the current climate kindness can seem like abnormal behavior.
 
Kindness is both simple and complex. It is both personal and global in its reach. Its outcome is only positive. Evidence of it is all too rare.

It is amazing how quickly the news cycle moves on.  Major events happen and are front and center for a few days (at best) and then fade quickly into the background.

What do you know about the aftermath of the worst wildfire season in California history? Probably not much. Once the fires are contained, reporters leave.