Shine, Baby, Shine!
Monday, June 15, 2026
“The Church has a God-given calling to respond to moral chaos.” – Carl R. Trueman
Jesus couldn’t have made it any clearer in Matthew 5, the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, when he told His disciples that they were the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world”.
Salt provides flavor and – especially in ancient times – was used as a preservative. And so, Christians are to “flavor” our world with goodness and grace while preserving our culture from ever encroaching evil forces.
Meanwhile, light not only guides people’s steps so they don’t stumble and fall, but it also exposes darkness… and the forces that rely on it.
Let me add some personal perspective…
I was born in 1959 during the last few months of the Eisenhower administration, and I grew up during the 1960s and 1970s. As chaotic as the Sixties were – with the anti-Vietnam War protests and the assassinations of JFK, RFK and MLK Jr. – and the Watergate scandal that plagued the early Seventies, it was still a much simpler time.
There were no personal computers, no cell phones, no internet, most moms were homemakers, and everyone recognized two (and only two) genders. Profanity in public was minimal and there was no such thing as cable TV with its hundreds of sex-laden channels.
Perhaps we were lulled into a false sense of security, believing that common sense and common decency would continue indefinitely… and maybe even last forever. If so, we were foolishly naïve and unprepared for the onslaught of permissiveness and progressivism that has since turned America into a modern-day version of Sodom and Gomorrah.
So, what is a God-fearing, Christ-loving person to do? Run for cover? Hunker down and pray for the Lord’s return? Keep quiet and “go with the flow” lest we draw attention to ourselves?
None of the above are acceptable options for a truly born-again believer! Individually and collectively, we must stand up and speak out for righteousness… while shaming the unsaved world by living lives that are above reproach and providing a moral compass for them to follow.
In other words, no more hiding your lamp under a basket (see Matthew 5:15). Shine, baby, shine!
“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (BSB)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
