Matthew 5:13 - 16
There was a very insightful article recently by the New York Times columnist David Brooks. He talked about the fact that there are two extremes; in one, it’s rugged individualism, the idea that every man is for himself. If you get to be a billionaire by climbing over other people, that’s fine. If you are starving on the streets, it’s probably your own fault, but certainly no concern of mine. It’s everyone for himself or herself. This individualism is behind the rise in suicide and drug addiction and the epidemic of loneliness we see in so many so called “advanced” societies. The other extreme is tribalism. It's the idea that you belong to a group that thinks alike, acts alike, and sees every other tribe as a potential enemy that should be wiped out. It’s like being part of an ant colony. Life is war, and the worst thing that can happen is for you to be ejected from your tribe. This certainly characterizes our politics these days, and it’s an attitude that’s encouraged by the internet, where you can find support for your own ideas without ever having to consider whether they might be wrong.
Brooks points out that these two extremes have one thing in common -- they make people miserable. It turns out, however, that we are social animals, meant to cooperate with each other. And when we are doing that, there are all kinds of hormonal changes in your brain that make you feel better. There was a time when the American flag was a symbol of the underlying unity among Americans, regardless of their political differences. Now of course, even the flag is seen as divisive.
If we hadn't celebrated the feast of the presentation last Sunday we would have heard the gospel for the fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, in which Jesus gives us the eight beatitudes. You remember, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, Blessed are the merciful … “ and so on. A better translation of the Greek is the word “happy” or “most fortunate”. Jesus gives us the way to be happy – and it isn't individualism and it isn't tribalism.
Today Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth. He doesn’t say “we should be” or “we are becoming” -- we are right now. There is no way we can exist and not be. Salt is essential for human life, but too much in your blood will kill you just as quickly as too little. And salt is important in food -- but too little leaves the food tasteless, and too much makes the food taste terrible. Salt is best when it is just right, where it is almost ignored because it is doing its job. When we are salt, we recognize that our goal is to work for the common good in the best way we can, rather than our own. Happy are the meek.
Jesus tells us we are the light of the world. We are not expected to hide our light, but it should shine where the whole world can see it. Light is meant to be shared, to eliminate the dark places. Almost the opposite of salt, right? But I think Jesus wants his followers to live conscious of the fact that they are being watched -- by children, other adults; by Christians and non-Christians alike.
This gospel passage is part of the sermon on the mount. Jesus had just finished giving us the eight beatitudes -- kind of like the ten commandments for the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew is very interested in telling the story of Jesus so that it will encourage the churches that are composed of and being persecuted by both Jews and gentiles. And he is saying that if we in our churches live as Jesus teaches, we will not only be happy and blessed, but we will begin to make over the world.
And that brings us back to the article by David Brooks. It isn’t rocket science to point out that people are generally happier when they are working cooperatively toward a common goal. That’s one of the things that churches are supposed to be -- places where people can cooperate in acts of charity and spreading the gospel -- kind of a super family. Our churches are obviously places of worship, where the community prays and receives the sacraments. Our parishes are also meant to help form us into disciples of Jesus Christ. But do we ever consciously set out to give the world an example of a way to live, a way that leads to true happiness, a way that makes the world a better place?
In our parish we have a few such efforts -- Food for the Soul, the Knights of Columbus, the St. Mary’s guild. Periodically throughout the year we raise money for good causes. But you and I know that most of these efforts are carried out by a small fraction of our parishioners. Maybe as we ask ourselves how we are being salt and light, we might ask whether there is some activity we could devote an hour or so to every week.
Make no mistake, Jesus tells us that we have a mission, a mission which he will later on compare to leaven as well. Salt, light, leaven; he wants us to show the world that there is a better way, there is a way to escape individualism and tribalism, and be happy rather than angry or fearful. The kingdom of Heaven is the answer to the world’s problems, and you and I are the ones to whom it has been entrusted. Like it or not, we are the salt, we are the light, we are the world's only hope.
