You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?  . . . You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your [God]. — Mt 5:13-16

These are beautiful words from Jesus, but how do we really live them? I think we shine when we express our faith genuinely, as the unique person God created each one of us to be. We stay salty by being open to each new call God puts before us.

I remember the first time someone asked me about my faith. I was a college student working in a bakery, and a customer thought that I was kind in my interactions with customers. She told me so and then asked if I was a Christian. It took me by surprise. It never occurred to me that someone could see my faith when I wasn’t doing anything special. At the time, I was part of a Nondenominational group on campus, and most of the students in that group believed that faith had to be demonstrated by evangelizing. It felt like proselytizing to me, though, and it made me uncomfortable to push my faith onto other people. That day in the bakery, I realized that being obtrusive wasn’t necessary; I could express my faith even in simple interactions with people. I could just be myself.

I’ve come to see that living my Christian faith is more than just being nice to people, but I’ve also realized that it’s okay to express my faith out of who I am. I mean, really, what else can I do? I am myself and no one else. It took me a long time but recognizing how my self-expression relates to my faith expression has helped me to grow to accept myself. God loves me as I am – and then calls me to more. I try to follow that call, and I grow.

Authenticity was one of the things that drew me to the Sisters of Divine Providence. Being genuine before God and others is deeply embedded into our spirituality. We call it the Virtue of Simplicity, but I guess we could call it faith on a lampstand. We are who we are, no frills, and we trust that it’s enough. This virtue helps us to accept ourselves and each other, and it opens us to love and respect other people too. Now that I think about it, simplicity is also how we stay salty, how we stay fresh in our baptismal call as well as our vowed life. God loves us as we are but calls us to more. We follow, and we grow. We can’t get comfortable! As soon as we do, God calls us again. Simplicity assures us that God made us and loves us and helps each one to grow into the person God created us to be.

God’s call to be salty is not just for my community but for everybody, and it’s not only about our personal growth but about serving other people. In the First Reading, we see what God’s call to more can look like. Isaiah describes care for others that moves beyond being nice: “share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own.” That directive sounds easy, but when you get down to it, these are hard things to do. But God calls anyway. We try to answer that call, and we grow. That’s how we shine; that’s how we stay salty.

The light that we each set on a lampstand is not perfect; in fact, our light tends to be fractured in places. But it’s ours, and it shines well enough. Likewise, the favor of our faith may not always be impeccable, but it’s in good taste. If you know me, you can be sure that my salt has a dash of red pepper, and that’s a good thing! Who likes bland food or bland faith? Not me. Thanks be to God.

• What keeps you from being genuine? What parts of yourself are you afraid to show others?

• How genuine are you when you pray? Are you free to let it all hang out, or do you hold back? What would it be like to share with God from the depths of your heart?

• What more is God calling you to right now? In what ways could you do more to “share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them, and [keep from turning] your back on your own”?

 By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP

Sister Leslie Keener, CDP is the director of God Space, a community-building spirituality ministry in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. She’s a Sister of Divine Providence with a Masters in Ministry and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreats from Creighton University. She directs retreats, meets with people for spiritual direction, and serves as the vocation director for her community. She also serves on the Coordinating Council of Spiritual Directors International. She enjoys music, meaningful conversations, dancing, and hot sauce. On everything.