Beloved in Christ,
Have you ever tried to drive in a severe snow storm? Sometimes storms can get so heavy that you can barely see what is in front of you. You try to stay on the road, but you can no longer see the lines to keep you going straight.
In these situations, some people decide to follow the taillights of the person in front of them. They think that doing so will guarantee that they will stay on the road. The problem with this decision is that if the person in front ends up falling into the ditch, then he will bring along everyone who was following him.
Our Lord said to his disciples, "You are the light of the world," (Matthew 5:14). We live in a time that is in many ways like driving through a snow storm. Most of us cannot see what is in front of us; we do not know whether we are driving on the straight path, or heading straight into a ditch. In these confusing circumstances, people will naturally look toward anyone who seems to know where he or she is going.
As Christians, our lives are a light to others. This is the case whether we want it to be or not. As people who claim to have faith, others will look to our example to learn what it means to follow Christ. And we will either lead them on the right path, or lead them along with us into confusion. This means that each of us has a great responsibility to live a life that is an expression of our faith rather than an expression of our own hypocrisy.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven," (Matthew 5:16).
The light of our lives can only be a faithful guide to others if we practice what we preach. Only if what we do is consistent with what we say can our example lead others to Christ rather than elsewhere. St. Paul tells us this in his letter to the Romans when he says: "You who are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness... you who teach another, do you not teach yourself?" (2:19, 21). Remember that your actions speak louder than your words; no matter how much you speak the truth, others will not hear that truth if your way of life drowns it out with an opposing message.
What does your life tell others about what it means to follow Christ? If someone looked at your example, would they see Christ's Gospel, or something else? Since we have received Christ into our hearts, now we must allow him to form us into the people he wants us to be, to allow his light to define our lives. When our lives become faithful witnesses to our faith, then our light can lead others away from the darkness, away from the ditch, and toward the one light that "gives light to everyone coming into the world," (John 1:9) Christ our true God.
In Christ,
Fr. Jeremy