Monday, February 7, 2011

gravity of salt and light


A reflection on yesterday's readings: you are the salt of the earth and light of the world.

But first a bit of poem by Ron Padget....

Gravidanza is the Italian word
for pregnancy, which sounds
more serious than the English word
and may remind us of sentences such as
"The situation is very grave."
Every situation has gravity,
it's a question of how much.

People too have gravity—
of manner, of morals, and of body.
It is good to have gravity
but not too much of it:
like a bag of cement,
you might not be able to move
around or make ethical distinctions.
But with too little of it
you are flighty, your feet
hardly touch the ground.
Though cement and flightiness
have their charms,
it's better to find
your center of gravity
and have it be the place
you radiate out from.

What is our center gravity and from it what radiates outward.

You are the salt of the earth and light of the world: sounds like our center of gravity as christians. PErhaps we no longer need to search for it, but really just need to live it.

Christ the center of gravity that pulls us forward, keeps us in motion, keeps us in rather than out.

Salt and light that which radiates outward.

Salt is that which makes food taset better and preserves the goodness and integrity of food so that it can be good for longer periods of time.

Light illuminates the path, makes known the way. It also warns oncomers of pending danger and possible harm, like lights on railroad crossing or blinking ights in a school zone, we are meant to slow down and be attentive.

Thus, has Christians we are called to make the world taste better, adding spice to life, enriching the natural flavorsof the good world God created. We are called to preserve goodness in every nook and cranny of the world. Our Presence becomes salty and thus maintains integrity of goodness imbedded in the created world, int he human heart and mind.

We must illumine the path. Like night lights to feet our presence is for the world, not blinding or glaring but simple illiminating.

While we illuminate we must warn of pending danger of decisions made in haste or error.

We can not force not coerce but simple shine. What others do in response to light that is laid bare is really up to them, but in the end it is shining that matters most.

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