After the vacation on L.A. and Chicago, I have been staying in Japan. For the late of July, I mostly spend in Fukuoka where is my home town, and Tokyo where I had lived for more than 10 years in August. I would love to review Fukuoka and Tokyo later. Currently, I am trying to finish visa application for Australia though, unfortunately the criminal record from FBI has been delaying, so that I have not finish the application for visa for Australia. I am kind of nervous lately. Anyway, I am trying to write something before I forget how to write in English.
I have been staying in Aoyama-Gakuin university where I got Bachelor, Master, and Ph.D, to prepare for the next job and my research. While I am studying in the University, I have been reading the bible and trying to finish within 3 months for the first time. I had finished the Old Testament and now am reading New Testament. I have a lot of things I would love to write though, I would like start of this “Salt and light”. Since Aoyama-Gakuin university is Christian school, I remember that the university has motto which is “Salt and light” from Matthew 5:13-16. Surprisingly, when I got to the church on campus (Or, should I say ‘on ground?’) first time since I graduated in Aoyama-Gakuin Univesity, I realized I happened to be reading “Salt and light”.
Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
So, my school has kept telling me that I should be “Salt and Light”, and I have been thinking all the time. I have been thinking from school is something like this “how can I be salty to contribute the world?” To be salty, the talent is not good enough, I needed to put a lot of effort to condensate and not to be exploited. What does “light” mean personally? I would love to be salty because I am a scientist. So, I needed to have talent, focus, and enduring to be salty enough as a scientist.
But, how about “light”? To be salty is not enough? That is good point. We also need to be “light” of the world. My understanding is something like this, “Light” is to be a leader. A leader gives people hopes by taking risks, sacrificing for the other and leading the people with his talent and wisdom. If you have talent and you had trained yourself enough, you should be shine. You should be light for the world and people. You have to be bright light to lead the people.
The both pictures were taken at Aoyama-Gakuin university, Sagamihara Campus