What does it mean to be Salt and Light?

Acts 17: 24-27, we read that The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands, and does not live in temples built by hands. And, He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us."

I have always contemplated the role of the missionary as being more often than not, invasive. I was again brought to consider this while listening to Moody radio this morning's Founder's Week Program. Speakers were talking about missionaries and their being martyred. Yes, absolutely, we have to be Salt and Light for those who seek to know Him, who seek to reach out to Him. Yet, we as Christians should not be invasive. What does that mean?

We should not be going around wearing our faith as a badge of honor and trying to (working as 'Martha -  being busy' *Luke 10:38) to convert everyone around us... point being, rest in the Lord as that is learning to be salt and light. Don't get me wrong, I am sure that not that all missionaries work like this. Missionaries are servants called to do God's work. However, I think in their exuberance, they become like Martha. Perhaps, that is just my personal observation based on seeing and reading situations whereat missionaries have given their lives in places that still today seemingly remain untouched by the Word of God.

I say that, speaking as a sociologist, because I know the depth of cultural data that individuals carry with them as it identities them with a group in a place. This is foundational for a human being, a social creation. Which is why I think that missionaries especially Americans overlook this. We/they must be conscious of cultural data and its meaning for those who partake in it in a place. We must be mindful as Americans that we do not have the rich contextual meaning of place in our cultural data bank. Place for us can be any place.

I believe Jesus knows this (Acts 17:24) and He knows those that need to be and want to be witnessed to; thus, He will bring them to us. Remember, Jesus did not go about seeking/working people to listen to Him. Jesus was not about working the audience in order to bring them around to His way of being. He put Himself into positions that people could come to Him, that is the difference. When He sent out the twelve, He asked the disciples to put themselves in the positions so that people would come to them. If people did not embrace them, then Jesus advised them to shake the dust from their sandals and move on.  Matthew 10: 14  ~  That is being Salt and Light.