Silence is no longer an option
I came to a stark realization. The realization is that (except for my vote), I have little power to change what goes on in Washington D.C. I realized this after the last bill in the house was passed at the end of 2022. The bill called the Omnibus was one of the most disgusting pieces of legislature I have witnessed in the last few years. It sold our nation’s economy out once again with the same corrupt players on both sides of the aisle.
I received multiple calls to email or call my legislators to stop the bill from passing. I watched different pundits say that the Capitol switchboard was inundated with thousands upon thousands of phone calls to stop that hideous bill. Yet, the bill passed anyways and I felt defeated and insignificant. But the strongest feeling I had was that of being powerless to make any effective change in our nation. At the national level, in many ways, this is true.
It’s not true that I am powerless at the local level. At the local level, where I live, work, and serve, I can make a difference. My voice can be heard loudly. My presence whether in person, in writing, or on social media can get attention from those who govern over us. We all collectively can join together and work to change what goes on in our cities, schools, libraries, and counties. This is where it begins.
To make inroads of change in our local community, silence is no longer an option. There are too many of us that are operating in silence. We have no voice. We close our eyes. We go on in our life pretending that silence is a good thing because it won’t offend anyone. The waters of conflict can be avoided by silence. By keeping our perspective quiet and protecting our opinion, we avoid conflict, embarrassment, and rejection. This is supposedly wisdom, but is it?
In scripture, the church is called to be salt and light. “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”
Matthew 5:13-15 (ESV)
During the time of Jesus, salt had many uses. One of the most important uses of salt was preserving food. It protected food from putrefaction and preserved it unchanged.
Colossians 4:6 reads, Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Our speech should be seasoned with salt. This means that our voices should be heard. We should be speaking, talking, teaching, and preaching. We are the preservative in our culture and our community to stop the putrefaction of this corrupt world. If we are salt and become ineffective, we lose the potential to preserve anything. We are also light that was created for darkness. Think deeply about that last line. The light was created for darkness. Light shows what everything is in the dark.
The deeds of darkness come upon a community through education, media, and government. Speaking the truth in love is necessary. Government needs salt and light. If Christians remain silent and turn away, there is no preservation.
In government, here are a few things that can be done to salt our community.
1. Pray- Pray for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 1 Timothy 2:2 (ESV) Notice two things. One is that praying means you are using your voice to ask God for something. Two, praying for governmental leaders, leads us to a quiet and peaceful life. A peaceable life looks like peace where no harassing governmental officials are trying to take our families, schools, and businesses apart.
2. Vote- If a person is a United States citizen, they have a right to vote. That person’s vote is their voice at the ballot box- no vote, no voice, silence.
3. Personal Engagement- To use our voice, we have to be engaged in the culture. Being engaged in your community is being present in your community not absent. According to Joe Thorn, from Acts 29, you need to know what is driving the local issues. “There will be no cultural engagement unless you are there, hanging out, interacting with the world outside of the church. Need a place to start? Introduce yourself to your neighbors and invite them over for dinner, read the local paper or local online publications, participate in local events, let your voice be heard, and be a regular at local establishments.
4. There is a famous quote, “The pen is mightier than the sword” The written word is a voice, your voice, use it. Write to the editors of newspapers, online publications, blogs, and newsletters. Send emails to civic leaders, business leaders, teachers, principals, and school board officials, as well, as the legislators that make decisions about our everyday life, every year.
5. Love and serve your community- There are numerous service projects a person can choose to participate in within the local community. Pick one or two and give your resources of time and finances. Resist evil, do good, be merciful and kind. Let your light shine brightly in 2023.