What is our purpose and role as Christians in a fallen world?

I have decided to just jump in way over my head right off the bat with this post. Honestly, I don't know if I really know the full answer to the question I pose, but here are some thoughts based on recent interactions and life events.

1. Balancing relatability and the idea of "salt and light" can be a real struggle. I try to be as much of a "normal" person as I can be and maybe that is a detriment. I don't ever want to come accross as some holier than thou type who thinks they have unlocked the deepest theological truths and modeled it flawlessly. I screw up a lot. I screw up a whole lot! I have more questions about the Bible and various doctrines than I have answers most of the time. I want people to see me as one of the guys...who does things a bit different.

2. I can't believe how many Christians just don't get it. For a group of people who are supposed to reach out to the lost and serve others, most Christians fail to actively display love and compassion. I have been going around and around with some classmates about the importance of action over knowledge. In my mind, there is nothing more important than putting your money where your mouth is when it comes to being a follower of Christ. You can read every book, hear every sermon, and memorize the Bible from cover to cover; but if you lack love for God and love for people....you have missed the whole point. I have so much growing to do in this area it makes my head spin, but if Jesus felt great sorrow for the lost, then I need to have those same feelings and then actually try to do something. I love Jesus' words on the subject, "wisdom is proved right by its actions."

3. All Christians have a responsibility to every other member of society to reach out to the hurting, to help the sick and the poor, and to be the hands and feet of God in this world. Again, debate has broken out in a class about the responsibility of counselors when patients want to injure or kill themselves. I think we need to take this much more personally than many classmates. That doesn't mean that if a client commits suicide you hold on to grief and guilt for the rest of your life. It means that we step up to the plate and say that as the church we must do better at spreading the message of hope and encouragement found in the Gospel. It means that we must get our hands dirty and take the lead in reversing some of the negative trends in society.

4. When are Christians going to transform something worldly into a Godly vessel? The devil has perverted so many of God's creations that one wonders if there is anything left that he hasn't corrupted. So, is it possible to reclaim some of what we have lost? Even if it isn't, should we sit on our hands or go out and fight for truth and purity to reign supreme in areas of our lives which have been tainted? We aren't called to be casual observers, waiting on the sidelines for Christ's return.