Substance

Christmas has gone but the message pulsates on into the New Year; unchanging.

God was vague, distant, somewhat frightening, until he appeared in human form. Not for a moment reducing himself to our level and capacity, but rather sharing something of who he is in a manner we can receive and possibly comprehend. He ‘became flesh’ in order that we would grow in awareness of spirit, life beyond flesh. He took upon himself the substance of who we are in order to reveal truths that we so often are blind and deaf to; life beyond ourselves.

You could say that all of us are guilty of substance abuse. The substance of ourselves, of others, of the world around us, even of God. The definition of blindness and deafness is being unable to comprehend that which may well be right before us.

The world is rather a forlorn and depressing place as we enter 2026. It’s easy to wrap a shawl of despair around my shoulders and hang my head, or dive beneath a dark blanket of denial and avoid looking at the big wide world.

Faith can wither rapidly as the dark encroaches, and helpless resignation snuggles up, a balding toothless Gollum seeking to befriend…

We soon forgot the taste of bread, the sound of the wind in the the trees. We even forgot our name.

Nothing changes fast enough; evil invariably appears to enjoy the upper hand. Which is when I recall the unassuming birth of Jesus, the seven-year exile, the formative years spent in the backwater of Nazareth, and the slow passing of time. Around God’s incarnational son Rome continued to brutalize the world. Slaves never found freedom, burdens on the shoulders of the conquered weighed heavy, ordinary people scraped together a living with no holidays, shopping days, leisure, health care, or too much of anything.

Jesus grew up in the midst of such a reality. When he eventually taught he used everyday objects to convey the essence of his being and message. We keep returning to these two elements, salt and light. They were to describe followers of Jesus… when utilized properly.

Salt has little impact if it never leaves the container in which it is stored, or if it becomes so diluted its presence makes no difference. Alternatively, when dumped in volume it is unpalatable and almost toxic. Followers of Jesus can dilute, blend in, judge and condemn, and totally misrepresent the salt of Jesus.

Light is useless if it appears in full sunshine at midday. A lamp may have a wick protruding from a beautiful container, but without oil there is no possibility of a flame. It is unavoidable for a burning flame/light to not be noticed in the darkness. Its purpose is to illuminate, reveal, guide, and even comfort and reassure. If followers of Jesus use light like a flamethrower they destroy rather than bless and build up.

In a world where we are being bombarded with so much ugly rhetoric these ancient symbols are reminders of our need for substance. Jesus’ modelled character, light-ness, and saltiness – all the time. Those qualities spoke louder than words, beliefs, opinions, or lectures detached from tone and character,

Substance is not found in the words we use but in our actions imbued with the unconditional love of God as Father – made flesh among us – through his Son. The salt and light reveal truth, expose the tasteless and the dark, draw attention to goodness, and are impartial in their application – no favorites, and no exceptions.

Therefore, no matter how dark, how cruel, or how long. We continue to believe, continue to seek the company of Jesus. and continue to realize that without him we are left with form devoid of substance. Salt without taste, smoking wicks invisible in the darkness. But with him, taste is released and light is restored – and everyone can tell the difference; especially those who don’t believe, yet.

Substance is in short supply when looking around. Don’t underestimate “this little light of mine.”