# We are signs of God's love
*2014-12-12*

> Bill Young reflects on the call for Christians to be the light of the world and signs of God's love amidst the presence of evil.

## Called to be the light

Today is the second Saturday of the week of Advent. We are praying from a book called Our Advent Journey with Christ. In the words of Pope Francis, we are signs of God's love. As it says in Matthew 5:14-16, 'You are the light of the world... Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.'

## Our mission in the world

Our mission is to bring the hope and salvation of God to the world. We are called to be signs of the love of God, who calls everyone to friendship with Him. We are meant to be the leaven that makes the dough rise, the salt that gives flavor and preserves from corruption, and the light that enlightens.

## God is stronger than evil

If we look around us, we don't even need to open a newspaper to see the presence of evil. However, I want to say out loud: God is stronger. Do you believe this? God is stronger because God is Lord, the only Lord. The reality of a world that is sometimes dark and marked by evil can change if we first bring the light of the Gospel, especially through our lives.

## The power of collective light

Imagine a dark night in a sports stadium, like the Olympic Stadium in Rome or San Lorenzo in Venezuela. If one person turns on a light, you can barely see it. But if the other 70,000 spectators turn on their lights, the whole stadium shines. Let our lives together be the one light of Christ. Together, we carry the light of the Gospel to the whole of reality.

*By living the Gospel together, we can transform a dark world into a place that reflects the light and love of Christ.*