Be the symbol of our Risen Lord

ONCE, WHEN I WAS OVERSEAS, I saw a T-shirt which I liked very much. It was white with blue stripes, and it had a crocodile symbol. As it was not expensive, I bought it. My friends pointed out to me later that it was not a genuine Lacoste T-shirt as the jaws of the crocodile in the symbol were clamped shut.

We are greeted by a myriad of symbols and signs daily, with each presenting a message or depicting the actual substance it represents. There are counterfeits and imitation symbols that try to pass off as genuine. While these are no substitutes for the real stuff, their imitations indicate that the authentic items, as represented by their respective symbols, have true worth and value in the market.

When Jesus told His disciples that they were the salt of the world (Matt 5:13a), He was referring to the distinctive symbol that we display before the world, and which should characterise Christian lives. While it may become a little indistinct at times, the symbol will not lose the message it presents or the substance it points to. No matter what, it must never be a fake or imitation. “Fake” salt does not have the qualities of genuine salt and it will be “thrown out and trampled by men”. (Matt 5:13b).

The church symbolises our resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. It depicts to the world the presence of our Risen Lord among us. Let us continue to do the Lord’s ministry on earth – loving people, preaching the Gospel, be righteous and faithful, gentle and humble, loving one another.

The church comprises you and me. Hence, each of us and every Christian community symbolise the Risen Lord, and all men will know that we are His disciples (John 13:35).

The Rev Dr Chong Chin Chung is the President of the Chinese Annual Conference.