It has become all the more important to talk about our identity as children of God living in a world that is bedevilled with all kinds of evil. From the very beginning, all that God created was good, so the scriptures say (cf. Gen. 1:31, 1 Tim. 4:4). 

The world and all there is in it are the works of God. The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord; the earth and all who live on it are His. (Cf. Ps. 24:1).

The goodness of the Lord's creation and the perfect bliss that man enjoyed at creation was beautifully pictured in the garden of Eden such that God as we would say in human parlance "take a stroll" in the garden and have a good time with Adam and Eve.

They enjoyed great serenity and sanity because the man at that point was in a perfect state with God his creator. This state will soon be uttered and that image of God in us will be tainted by sin. 

This brings our existence in the world to become a perpetual state of struggle between staying faithful to our true identity and becoming immersed in the ways of the world "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." (Gal. 5:17)

This is a truth Jesus will establish greatly in His teachings. He identified that we have been planted in the world, yet not of the world (cf. Jn. 15:19, 17:16, 1Jn. 2:15-17).

It is important to note at this point that the use of the word 'world' in the New Testament has varying connotations. One meaning is that the world is everything that has been created by God and redeemed by Christ.

So we can say, it is equivalent to the category of the people of God and embraces everyone. However when John tells us in 1Jn. 2:15 that "Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world." Here He meant a society that is organized without God.

It means secularism, that is, a view of life that limits itself to the human here and now in exclusion of man's relation to God here and hereafter. It is the practical exclusion of God from human thinking and living.

In this sense, there is an opposition between God and the world, between the earthly kingdom and the heavenly kingdom. In other words, it is the world alienated from the divine, that is, indifferent or hostile.

Little wonder, Jesus reminds us in the gospel of John that we are in the world but not of the world. There is a sharp contrast between being in the world and being of the world.

Having established what the world connotes here, to be of the world is to live a life outside God, outside the dictates of faith and religion, it is to want to follow the ways of the world rather than rub off our faith on the life of the world. 

It is quite saddening that Christians today are always quick to jump at trends and eager to bring as many worldly practices as possible into the Church. We are subtly practicing syncretism all in the name of liberality and moving along with the changing world.

We soon forget our identity as the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Christians who are meant to keep the world sane by touching the nooks and cranies of the world with their good life of Christian virtues are no longer living by the tenets of their faith but are motivated by world trends and practices.

One way we have become so loose and have become accepting of all kinds of evil is through the songs and dances that we bring into the presence of the Lord. The latest trend 'gwo gwo gwo ngwo' dance challenge has soon found its way into our worship.

You cannot but ask how easy it has become for us to bring all these worldly expressions into our Churches. We must be able to differentiate between secular and liturgical music.

Songs from secular sources and religious songs which DO NOT EXPRESS THE FAITH OF THE CHURCH OR ENGAGE THE ASSEMBLY IN GIVING VOICE TO ITS PRAYER are not permitted during the Liturgy. Some songs may be INSPIRING and of GOOD MUSICAL QUALITY.

At the same time, however, their texts may not be directed to God or express the Church's faith. For these reasons, they are inappropriate for the Liturgical prayer. 

We must disinfect ourselves, we have to immunise ourselves, we have to receive anti-evil injections as we receive at times anti-cholera, anti-covid, malaria etc. And this anti-evil is prayer, reception of the sacraments, mortification and knowledge about the faith.

We should not be of the world, that is, we should not allow ourselves to be affected by evil, we should not come under the domain of the evil one. We must keep away from devil, his works and his empty promises. The greatest evil that can ultimately befall us is to be separated from God even while in His presence.

St. Paul reminds us 'do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good manners' (1Cor. 15:33). Elsewhere He says "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people."

Therefore "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you." (2 Cor. 6:14-17). 

The Church is not a dustbin for all kinds of rubbish, it is a place where we are transformed into better persons who go into the world to make it better. To be on the side of God, we must be ready to give up companies, associations, things, persons and events that may not help us.

As we engage with the world, we must seek to maintain our spiritual identity. We must influence the world positively without being influenced by its negative ways. Without striking this balance, we must just be termed worldly Christians.