The Living Church - Salt and Light

I've been reading John Stott's book The Living Church: Convictions of a lifelong pastor published by IVP. It is a book that lives up to all the blurb on the cover.

In a chapter on Impact: Salt and Light John Stott while writting about the influence Christians can have on non-Christian society writes the following:

"If the house is dark at night, there is no sense in blaming the house for its darkness. ... The question is: where is the light?

Again, if the meat goes bad and become inedible ... The question is: where is the salt? ...

It is hypocritical to raise our eyebrows and shrug our shoulders as if it were not our responsibility. Jesus told us to be salt and light to society. If therefore darkness and rottenness abound, it is to a large measure our fault, and we must accept much of the blame." (page 143)

Are we too quick to blame non-Christians for not living Christian lives? Have we withdrawn from our place as citizens within our communities and so left them without the influence of the salt to arrest decay and the light to chase away the darkness? It is good that Stott notes that all the blame does not lie with the church, but we must surely own some of the blame.

Perhaps it is just the way my mind works but if we change the focus of our being salt and light from society to the church, or at least a church suffering under long years of liberal influence, does this quote from Stott not work just as well? Are we not ever quick to criticise and blame congregations for not believing the gospel who have never had gospel preaching in living memory? Do we not think badly of ministers who are unsure of gospel truth and yet we have never spoken to them of the gospel.

The thrust of Stott's chapter quoted above is that Christians can have a real impact in their non-Christian society. Do we not also believe that Christians can have a real impact in their church denomination