Salty

 
What does it mean as a Catholic to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world? I asked this question to myself during my sophomore year as I sat outside near my school’s fire pit with my friends during our Catholicism class. Our teacher had placed us into small groups to depict scenes of how we might live-out the Christian virtues to be both the salt of the earth and the light of the world, especially to the secular world around us. While these were just skits, these verses have continued to be ever-present in my mind especially in my transition from my life in North Carolina to attend UVA.

Until I started my time at St. Thomas More Academy in Raleigh, I never really lived out my faith. Yes, I tried to be a good person and yes, I attended Mass on the weekends, but I can’t really say that I was the brightest light or saltiest (in the right way, of course) to those around me. St. Thomas More Academy changed that. Not only did I meet some of the most devout Catholics that I know, but many of them were my own age. They brought joy into the environment around them. There was no stigma around seniors, no bullying…simply a community of people who knew their faith, and tried to live it to the fullest. At the same time the faculty, creating this environment, helped us to live out our faith, encouraging us both academically to understand the coherent Catholic tradition and doctrine, and socially to engage with our peers the ways in which Christ desires.

The community that I had in high school was the perfect opportunity for me to learn to embrace my faith, but not necessarily the greatest opportunity to spread light as it was a place that was already full of light. For me, the test came more so as I interacted with peers who did not share my beliefs or values, many of whom held entirely dissimilar beliefs. As my time at Virginia began, I finally had the chance to start to live out my faith in a place where it was needed, but not always welcomed. As a first-year, especially in my new curriculum engagement courses, I no longer felt included in discussions. I found a few allies to my Christian beliefs, something that would have been abundant in high school. My opinions went from being the view of the majority to “radically conservative” and “oppressive.” They went from being encouraged and praised to being suppressed and unacknowledged. However, I came expecting this and I knew that my faith would face backlash. At the same time, I realized that religion I had grown to love, especially in the last four years, might just have a chance to reach those who had never experienced it.

Ultimate Frisbee, the very athletic and intriguing sport which some confuse with disc golf (let me know if you ever want to throw), wasn’t exactly the initial way I intended to live out my faith, but in a very weird way, it became one of the most important. After trying out for a few weeks with the club team at UVA, I met a wide range of very coordinated and athletic girls, some of whom made Virginia a true home for an out-of-state kid like me. While I never explicitly shared my strong Catholic opinions, the way I interacted with these girls showed them my faith. As time went on they understood that I didn’t always enjoy some of the events they participated in outside of frisbee. They knew that I always requested the early car ride to grounds after tournaments to make it to the 9 pm mass, and they always made it possible for me to be there.

The relationships I was able to build with the girls over the course of the season were unlike those I formed in high school, but nonetheless they formed in a beautiful way of their own. I was met with many unique backgrounds, opinions, and strong convictions. I was, for the first time in my life, able to experience and better understand those around me that I often ignored or avoided in my “sheltered” Catholic environment. But at the same time, I was able to empathize with those who weren’t Catholic as I became friends with some of the people I would never have encountered at my Catholic high school.  Through these friendships, I was able to see something that was missing in some other the Catholic environments I had experienced.

As opposed to the formulated skits that I acted out in high school, there isn’t one set way to live out your faith. Each unique person that you will encounter in life has a different story, a different opinion, and a unique view of the world. As Catholics, the way we interact with each person, regardless of their faith or opinions, says something to them about our own faith. Therefore, there isn’t one set way to evangelize. There isn’t one way to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. But, whether it be a profound act of kindness, a debate, or a small set of actions over time, the way we go about our lives as Catholics should point back to Christ.