“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16)

Leaving a Lasting Legacy

Fast forward to 2017, and the best player in the NBA today wears the number 23 (and did so in high school), and anytime someone tries to argue that a certain player is the greatest of all time, there is one question that is inevitably asked: “Even greater than Michael Jordan?”

Perhaps the most amazing thing about Jordan’s legacy is that we are now 14 years removed from his third and final retirement, and young fans – some of whom either weren’t born when he played or only saw him play in a Wizards uniform – still consider him to be the greatest player of all time.

We can attribute that to the era of YouTube highlights and his ability to transcend culture, as he is still seen in TV commercials and then in the most brilliant part of his post-playing career: his Jordan Brand logo on collegiate uniforms, a variety of clothing items, and of course, shoes.

As visible as his image is today, there is a greater legacy that we can leave in the lives of others than our logo on clothing and shoes: our daily example of faith, hope, and love.

This is not done in extraordinary way. It’s rather simple. The way we leave a legacy is the way we live. We simply need to shake – because we are the salt of the earth – and shine – because we are the light of the world. That’s it.

Shake and shine today. 

– Daniel Matthews