Christianity is a way of life not a social identity

The liturgy of the fifth Sunday in ordinary time is based on the following readings: Isaiah 58,7-10; Psalm 112; 1 Corinthians 2,1-5; Matthew 5,13-16. The main theme of this liturgy is a conviction that Christianity should make a difference as our faith shines in our lives. The Gospel calls us to be salt and light for others. Our every day lives should be a source of light and meaning for others through what we do and say in a way that reflects God’s presence in us. In a special way, Christians should be distinguished by their generosity and concern for the poor, the homeless and the hungry. In his letter to the Corinthians St Paul makes it clear that Christianity should not be taken for a mere doctrine or theory on life, but a practical style of life after the person of Jesus Christ, guided by the power of the Holy Spirit. The later writings of Isaiah and Psalm 112 show that what makes our worship of God authentic and acceptable to those who see us is the love of a neighbour in need. Today, if we want to be true Christians, the person of Christ must definitely be at the centre of our being. Christianity is after all a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. This is what marked the apostles and the first disciples, and it should continue to be our experience in our spiritual journey. What makes the contemporary Christian authentic is that personal experience and contact with Jesus Christ. It is this internal personal experience that changes us and enables us to live in the world as true Christians. In his teaching, Jesus took as a priority justice to all, and in a special way to the poor and needy. That is why our Christianity should not dwell only on prayer and worship, though they are essential, but we should not forget our Christian duty of serving others and liberating them from all sorts of bondage, as far as we can. That is what being salt and light of the world means. It is essentially being instruments of the conversion of others, so that they may “give praise to your Father in heaven.” (Matt.5,16). This is our Christian responsibility which links our lives to the salvation of others. Our daily experience shows that it is easy to take Christianity as a mere social identity. This would be to miss the point on the fundamental, personal experience of Jesus Christ; who calls us for a total change of heart. The kingdom of God is not a concept, a doctrine or a program subject to free interpretation, but a way of life, which values time for prayer; and seeing one’s life and one’s problems in the light of the Christian truth. The sign of a personal encounter with Jesus Christ is conversion. It goes with rethinking all we do in our lives in order to give it a greater meaning. It is a serious examination of how we live, and what we really believe. A Christian style of life will definitely pay attention to others by being considerate of them; dedicating time to the decisions made in life considering the divine commandments, God’s wisdom and Providence. This requires a careful examination of how we live on a day to day basis, our fundamental motivations and interests. We must reject all sorts of insensitivity, inconsiderateness and thoughtlessness, as well as the non values in our society. That way, we shall have put on Christ and what people will see of us shall be in fact a true Christian identity.Today, more than ever before, Christians are called to respond with an effective love to others’ sufferings. And in order to respond positively, we must re-evaluate our activities so that amidst our necessary everyday concerns, we may still feel the obligation to serve others in an effective way. We need therefore to rediscover the ulterior purpose in our work and our ambitions so that we make channel our mundane activities to serving a higher purpose. This of course may mean a complete, though perhaps gradual, change of outlook and of activity. But we have what it takes. Ends