Be a Light in the Marketplace
The recent death of Charlie Kirk, a young Christian activist, has stirred many emotions and sparked a wide range of opinions—even among believers. Some have called him a martyr; others have raised questions or concerns. As a church, we must be careful not to let differing perspectives about one man distract or divide us. What we can agree on is this: events like these remind us of the urgency of our calling – to preach the Good News of Jesus and to speak truth in love. The world is dark, confused, and often hostile to truth. In such a time, the church cannot afford to shrink back. We are called to be bold, to be salt and light, and to proclaim the Gospel—not only in our churches but in the marketplace and the public arena.
I touched on this topic some years ago and am revisiting it in this Reflection. We often hear phrases such as: “Keep your faith to yourself,” or “Religion has no place in politics or the marketplace” What is your response to such statements? Perhaps the better question is – what does God say about this? The Bible clearly and comprehensively portrays God as intensely interested and involved in the marketplace, governments, and every aspect of society.
The Old Testament Examples
The story of Joseph deals with the sphere of family and the public arena at the highest level of ruling power – in relation to political, judicial, agricultural, economic affairs. The stories of Nehemiah, Esther and Daniel affirm the same perspective. Daniel spoke boldly about Yahweh and His ways to the kings of his time and worshipped God openly. Nehemiah and Esther too spoke up for God’s people. These 4 individuals who believed in Yahweh were at work in a public arena that was “pagan”.
The Example of Jesus and the Disciples
When Jesus was on earth, He did not keep himself within the confines of the synagogue but walked right into the lives of sinners, prostitutes, healed, taught, and spoke in the marketplace/public arenas. Jesus penetrated and impacted the world and caused an uproar in the community.
Likewise, for us to impact and influence the world for Christ, we must penetrate it. John Stott said, “We are to go as he went, to penetrate human society, to mix with unbelievers and fraternize with sinners. Does not one of the church’s greatest failures lie here? We have disengaged too much. We have become a withdrawn community. We have become aloof instead of alongside.” R.C. Sproul puts it this way – “Jesus’ strategy always involved believers going into the world, to penetrate the marketplace.”
And this is what the early church did. Look at the lives of the early disciples of Jesus including Stephen, Peter and Paul. They, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke often in the marketplace and public arena and debated and engaged the people openly and fearlessly.
God’s People in the Marketplace
If the above is God’s view of public life and work at the marketplace, what should the attitude and role of God’s people be? Certainly not one of disengagement but of engagement. How then should we engage in the marketplace? Jesus taught that His followers are salt and light (Matt. 5:13–16). Salt preserves; light dispels darkness. Both salt and light are active, penetrative and transformative – they impact its environment and make a difference. If we are the light of the world, we must, therefore radiate that light and dispel darkness. Jesus anticipated that some believers might choose to limit their light, refuse to shine, hide “under a bowl” and stay ‘safe’ in their anonymity to escape the accountability associated with “going public” with their faith and beliefs. Jesus said, “Let your light shine!” It is not an option for believers to let their surroundings remain in darkness. And Jesus commands believers to take one step further, He wants us to put our light on a lamp stand where everyone can see our light and our light can permeate and penetrate the darkness around us.
I liked how Christopher J. H Wright puts it “If a piece of meat goes rotten, it’s no use blaming the meat. That’s what happens when the bacteria do their natural work. Instead, the question to ask is, where was the salt? If a house gets dark at night, it’s no use blaming the house. That’s what happens when the sun goes down. The question to ask is, where is the light? Likewise, if society becomes more corrupt and dark, it’s no use blaming society. That’s what fallen human nature does when left unchecked and unchallenged. The question to ask is, where are the Christians? Where are the saints who actually live as saints—as God’s different people—in the marketplace?”
Distinctiveness
The distinctiveness of God’s people in the Bible is not merely religious but also ethical (i.e., that we are called to live by different standards). Believers operate from a worldview based on God’s Word which is different from the worldview of the rest of the world. The questions first raised above are important questions we need to address as there is increasing pressure placed on believers to keep their faith and values to themselves and what is worse, made to feel ashamed of what they believe in. The apostle Paul reminds us, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16).
In an age where Christians are pressured to remain silent, Paul’s words are a call to holy boldness. We are not asked to be quarrelsome, but we are called to be distinct—living and speaking God’s truth with clarity, conviction, and love. What then of the ‘demand’ to keep our faith and values to ourselves and out of the ‘secular or public arena’? My personal view is that every worldview—religious or non-religious—shapes society. To ask Christians to silence their faith while others speak freely is neither rational nor just. Believers are called to bring their God-shaped worldview into the public arena, not to dominate but to contribute, preserve, and shine.
Our Call Today
In times of confusion and division, let us not turn against one another. Let us not shrink back in fear or disengagement. Instead, let us be known as a people who pray, who love, who speak truth with grace, and who courageously shine the light of Christ wherever God has placed us. Can you imagine the impact if every believer lived unashamedly, shining the light of Christ and preserving what is good in our families, workplaces and societies? So let us stand together, united in our mission to proclaim Christ in word and deed. Let us not be ashamed of the Gospel and boldly shine for Him each and every day of our lives. Above all, let us remain in the posture of prayer, be led by His Spirit and allow Him to transform us into the likeness of Jesus, our Lord.
Eld Lisa Theng
No comments:
Post a Comment