Ryan's Ramblings

Salt and Fight… Light

“You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world…” (Matthew 5:13–14, NIV)

Yesterday morning, I was pulling onto a busy road when I felt a nudge—literally. The car behind me bumped mine. I put my car in park and got out to check. No damage. The woman behind me stepped out of her vehicle, flustered and apologetic.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “I’m just really stressed. I was distracted… I know that’s not an excuse.”

We talked for a moment. Nothing dramatic—just honest words exchanged between strangers. As we wrapped up, she said, “Thank you for being patient… and so kind.”

That word stuck with me: kind. She said it twice—like it surprised her. And maybe it did.

Kindness isn’t loud or flashy. It’s not a hot take or a fight to win. It’s quiet, faith-filled, and steady. And it stands out—especially in a world spoiling for a fight.

We’re living in a time when everyone seems on edge. Every conversation feels like a potential argument—about politics, church, traffic… even life itself. We’re braced for battle everywhere we go. All it took was a bumper-to-bumper thump to remind me how tightly wound we’ve all become—and how rare gentleness feels.

But Jesus calls us to something different. Listen to what He says in Matthew 5—not broken into sound bites, but as a continuous invitation and calling:

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world…” (Matthew 5:11–14, NIV)

Did you catch that? Rejoice and be glad doesn’t come after the storm—it comes in the middle of it. Right in the midst of the bumps, bruises, persecution, insults, frustrations, and false accusations. That’s the context for salt and light.

We tend to break those verses into categories—pain over here, purpose over there. But Jesus wove them together. And He flipped everything.

We think the good life means having things go our way, living in comfort, moving with convenience, and staying in control. But Jesus says if you’re truly following Him, you may face bumps, difficulty, and resistance—and that’s where your witness matters most.

Salt doesn’t shout. It doesn’t post angry rebuttals. It seeps in quietly. It preserves what’s good. At times it may sting a little—but it also heals.

To have that kind of quiet influence, we need wisdom—not the world’s kind, but the kind that comes from above. James (the brother of Jesus) said it like this:

“The wisdom from above is first of all pure, peace-loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others.” (James 3:17, NLT)

Godly wisdom doesn’t clamor for attention. It works quietly, often unnoticed.

As E. Stanley Jones put it:

“We are to be salt before we can be light. No man can shine in obviousness unless he is willing to permeate in obscurity.”

Obscurity. Insults. Weakness. They don’t mean you’re doing it wrong. They might mean you’re right where you’re supposed to be.

Look to Jesus and listen to His words. Let them steady you. Stay faithful. And when the world is itching for a fight—be kind. Because it’s not about the fight.

It’s about the light.