2024 – the Year of Salt and Light

Social Responsibility Officer Justin Arnott outlines the whats, hows and whys of the year ahead

Throughout The Year of Salt and Light, as the year of Social Responsibility is being called, we will be focusing on different areas of Social Responsibility.

We start with an Advent Bible study course (which should not be limited to Advent, indeed it encourages us to be active beyond this specific season). Then we will look at the areas of Strangers, foreigners, and sojourners (refugees) before making the Easter Bible study available which, similar to the Advent one, will play with the theme of light.

Reflecting on the Diocesan conference, some might say there was not enough time for reflection or discussion. I make no apologies for that. Discussion, while possibly fruitful, is an internal activity. The idea behind Salt and Light is that it should be external. If you are unsure of what can be done, then by all means consult our material or discuss. However I am confident that we are all already involved in at least some of the many areas of social responsibility.

Alongside the positive ones mentioned at Diocesan Conference, like something as simple as a smile or a kind word to turn someone’s day around, we should also keep in mind the preventative, or curative nature of the influence we can have. Just like salt can be used to positively enhance the flavour of food, it can also be used to prevent spoiling or curing food.

We should not underestimate the enormity of our smallest voice. If you google ‘tank man’ outside China, you will be reminded of the image of an unidentified man stopping a tank in Tiananmen Square. We might not be called to take such a public action, but in our everyday conversations we should be prepared to take such a stand. By speaking up, or against, the injustices in the world, not just the big global ones, but also the small everyday ones, we will be acting like salt to prevent badness from spreading.

Our challenge is to act as a disinfectant, as sunlight does, in those areas of society we operate in. Not inside a church building, but outside in the world. Very often we already know what to do, it’s not always a matter of talking about it, rather just getting on with it. If you feel overwhelmed or don’t know how to help in one area, then look for another, perhaps where you already are, and be the salt and light where you can be.