Mared Davies

March 2, 2008

“You are the Salt of the Earth”

   “You are the salt of the earth” and “you are the light of the world.” I first encountered this Bible verse on one of our church’s annual trips to Appalachia. It was used to describe the youth; the teens that traveled to West Virginia during that summer to bring light into the world of those who needed it the most; the impoverished families of the Appalachia region. That summer, WE were the salt of the earth, and WE were the light of the world.

   When revisiting this Bible verse as a theme for our Junior Deacon service, I was drawn to the people who were the light of my own world, including family friends, fellow church members, my Godfather, and my mom. I realized that these were the people I wanted to work for in my future. Being the salt of the earth meant living life as an example for others to follow. The youth of our world are the salt of the earth and the light of the world because of the influence of the generations before us.

   This past year, after reconstructing the ties of my Scottish heritage, I was given the gift of reestablishing contact with my Godfather, who I had not seen in nearly ten years. I had little memory of my mom’s extended family, all of which resided in Scotland, because as I grew older, it was harder for me to find the time to make the six-hour flight to their hometown of Peebles. After spending a month this summer studying in Scotland, and knowing that I will be attending university there in the fall, I immediately felt a connection and love for the country where my mom was born.

   Two weeks ago, my mother and I spent ten days visiting various parts of Scotland, staying with my Godfather and his family for a total of four days. My Godfather, or Uncle David as I call him, was welcoming and loving, and of course occasionally teasing, instantly going out of his way to make the most of the days we spent with him. He made sure to organize trips such as a tour of Britannia the yacht of the Royal family, and lunch at the same café were JK Rowling wrote the famous Harry Potter series in Edinburgh, as well as advice on the most scenic routes from place to place. He even found a way to play the music from my iPod in my cousin’s car! After spending even a few days with him, I was able to act as if I had not seen him in days, rather than in years. Living only a two hour drive from St Andrews, I now know that if wanted, I will have a place to visit on the weekends where I will be guaranteed a home cooked meal and funny stories of my brother and I when we were young.

   One of the most special events of my mom’s and my vacation in Scotland was the opportunity to attend a church service with my Godfather at the church where I was christened in Peebles. I was not surprised to learn that Uncle David, and his wife, were active members of the congregation, and that he was an elder of the church. I was so happy to know that my family was still actively involved in a church that was so special in my life.

   I knew I would enjoy the reunion with my Godfather, however I never expected to feel so welcomed and loved by him. I realized that he is the type of person that I should strive to be. He is kind and accepting towards all, and lives his life as a true Christian. He is the salt of my earth and I know over the next few years, my relationship with him will be one that cannot be replaced.

   The entire experience of getting to know my Godfather, and the realization that this is someone that was going to be a large part of my future, taught me that the people that love you are those that will influence the way that you live your own life; they are the light in your world, and they are the salt of your earth.

   I have always had people around me that seem to be thinking of others before themselves. I have grown up in an environment of love, kindness, and a desire to give back to those who are less fortunate. I’ve always be active in different organizations aimed to help others, such as Fairfield’s Relay for Life, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, and a group entitled Invisible Children. Invisible Children is a non-profit organization that was started by three college students, designed to support, both through recognition and finances, the struggles of child soldiers fighting in the civil war in Northern Uganda. It is a group that is solely founded on the strength and power of the youth of America. Every presentation, every demonstration, and every idea for fundraising, is provided by young people throughout our country, and even expanding beyond the borders of North America.

   The conflicts and horrors that Invisible Children fights against are those that have not been known or understood by our country, before the past few years, however the civil war has been occurring in Uganda for over twenty years. Children, ranging from the ages of five to thirteen, are being abducted into the rebel army under the impression that teaching a child to kill at a young age would mean they were destined to kill for the rest of their lives. Every night, thousands of Ugandan children seek the shelter of bus stations, as well as other public buildings, to avoid being abducted and forced to fight in the Civil War. Now, the youth of America are trying to do something to change the way America has responded to this violence. One of the aims of Invisible Children is an “end to the twenty year war in Uganda, an end to American indifference, an end to war.” Our generation has vowed to find support for those struggling in Uganda, with the aid of the documentary that Invisible Children has based its works, which states, “We have discovered an unseen war. We have seen Northern Uganda. We have seen Invisible Children. We are demanding justice. We are starting with Northern Uganda. The states have united.”

   While learning about the works of Invisible Children, I was interested to see what teens my age had been doing to help. I was shocked to learn that the organization was not looking for money, but for acknowledgement. By organizing an annual walk with locations in cities throughout the country and world, Invisible Children has had thousands of followers leave the comfort of their own homes for one night to walk through their town centers for the cause. Thousands of teens across America slept in the streets, staying up all night writing letters to senators, congressmen, and even the president, demanding American support in the conflict. “One American sleeping in the streets for one Ugandan. And the thousands for the thousands.”

   Invisible Children has shown the hope and the strength of my generation. A promotional video created to interest more teens in the fundraising of the group stated. “Our generation will be defined by three things. The digital revolution. The war on terror. And what we did or did not do to put the fire out in Africa.” Well, isn’t this true? If nothing is done, our generation will be remembered for the impoverished countries of Africa, ranging from the AIDS epidemic, to starving children, and the Civil Wars raging through the continent. However, if our generation bands together to fight against these horrors, we will truly be known as a generation that helped those around the world that needed us the most. It is our obligation as a powerful force, to work towards peace in Africa.

   We are the salt of the earth. We, as the youth of the world, are the future, and therefore need to work together to help change the world. I truly believe how the generations before us have paved the way through hard work, service, and understanding, can be an example of the goals we will accomplish in the future. We can be the salt of the earth by living the life that has been shown to us by those who were the salt of our own lives. We are the salt of the earth. We are the light of the world.