Reinvest in Your Salt and Light
If you are at all religious or know religious people then you know that today is Ash Wednesday. It's the precursor to Easter Sunday and the beginning of the liturgical season, Lent. The idea behind it is that you remember that your life will end one day.
So what's this salt and light business? It comes from the Bible, which I know isn't something that people gravitate towards, especially us young adults but the meaning is transcendent in my opinion. I'm going to paraphrase Matthew 5:13-16 (click on it to read the actual passage). There are two main ideas, be salt and be light. Obviously it's not literal but rather metaphorical. Let's talk about what salt is and what it could mean. Salt is a chemical compound that is added to add flavor, preserve, melt ice, etc. We are called to serve, to lead, to love, and to be stewards of God's unconditional love. Light is the absence of darkness. It's visible and warm. When you are accessing your inner light, you could be shedding awareness on something, revealing unknowns, expressing understanding and empathy, etc. The tricky thing is that there has to be a balance. Along with everything else there can be too much.
It's so easy to get caught up with the business of life. To go on autopilot, and not even think about what you're doing. This is an annual reminder that life is fleeting. An encouragement to refocus on our lives and take stock of how we are living it. A chance to change things, or add things, or stop doing things.
I invite you to take a minimum of 5 minutes to sit down and think about how you are living your life. Are you living lovingly? Are you passionate about something? Do you have regrets? Do you wish you could be doing something that you aren't currently?
So what's this salt and light business? It comes from the Bible, which I know isn't something that people gravitate towards, especially us young adults but the meaning is transcendent in my opinion. I'm going to paraphrase Matthew 5:13-16 (click on it to read the actual passage). There are two main ideas, be salt and be light. Obviously it's not literal but rather metaphorical. Let's talk about what salt is and what it could mean. Salt is a chemical compound that is added to add flavor, preserve, melt ice, etc. We are called to serve, to lead, to love, and to be stewards of God's unconditional love. Light is the absence of darkness. It's visible and warm. When you are accessing your inner light, you could be shedding awareness on something, revealing unknowns, expressing understanding and empathy, etc. The tricky thing is that there has to be a balance. Along with everything else there can be too much.
It's so easy to get caught up with the business of life. To go on autopilot, and not even think about what you're doing. This is an annual reminder that life is fleeting. An encouragement to refocus on our lives and take stock of how we are living it. A chance to change things, or add things, or stop doing things.
I invite you to take a minimum of 5 minutes to sit down and think about how you are living your life. Are you living lovingly? Are you passionate about something? Do you have regrets? Do you wish you could be doing something that you aren't currently?
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