Variety: Matthew 5v13-16

You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. People do not light a lamp and put it under a bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:13–16).

Brian McLaren 

When I was a teenager, the idea of religion making you different was not a new idea to me. Unfortunately, in my experience, religion made you different in an odd, outdated, and maybe even harsh and judgmental way. To be a Christian was to hold yourself above and apart from secular people and people of other faiths…. But one of my spiritual mentors, Rod, said something very different: Most of your fellow students are trying their hardest to be cool, but you can choose a different goal. You can make it your ambition to be warm—a warm and loving presence in the world as Jesus was. Rod believed that our calling was to be joyfully in the world in deep solidarity with our neighbors, loving them as equals rather than considering ourselves holier than thou and therefore better than them. Rather than judging them or evaluating them for where they fit on our scales or standards, Rod recommended that we compassionately understand every person we encounter, approaching everyone, no exceptions, with empathy.