"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing and I will receive you.  I will be a father to you and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.  Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."  (2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1)

    "You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled on by men. You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."  (Matthew 5:13-16)
 

    I believe that as long as I live (at least in this world) I will never see beauty that compares to that found in the state of Hawaii.  I can only imagine the joy that God must have felt as He viewed the land on its first day of creation.  Lush green plant life giving refuge to beautiful birds.  Emerald green and crystal blue waters highlighted with multi-colored coral reefs and filled with brilliant tropical fish. And towering volcanic mountains leaving trails of molten landscape to the sea.  The only aspect of this paradise I would personally alter is its location.  I'd locate it somewhere near Alabama!
    There are eight islands in the state of Hawaii.  All are separated from the mainland of the United States.  But one island bears a distinction that the others do not share in.  One is not only separated from the U.S. mainland, but it is also isolated.  The island of Ni'ihau is known as the Forbidden Isle.  No one is allowed to visit the island without special permission from its owner.  In 1864 Mrs. Elizabeth Sinclair bought the island from King Kamehamaha V for $10,000.  Today, the island remains the sole property of her descendants where the family raises cattle.  They still speak the native Hawaiian language and strive to preserve the integrity of their heritage.  But outsiders are completely taboo to its soil.  And thus, the beauty of the island is confined to the eyes of the chosen few who inhabit it.
    Without watchful consideration to our own actions, the church can come to bear a strong resemblance to the island of Ni'ihau.  In our attempts to be separate or "called out" from the world, it is so easy to cross the thin line into isolation.  In our bid to be remain pure as a body, it's easy to forget our main stay as an advocate of Christ is to leave the confines of our safe havens and associate with the world on a missionary basis.  Our call to be separate takes place not only in the body but outside the body as well.
    Additionally, it seems that many times our idea of separation is aimed solely at the denominational world in an effort to be "unlike" their respective bodies.  I have a gut feeling that Satan himself laughs in delight at such circumstances and muses to his angels, "Another distraction for God's people!"  You see, when we exert all our energy at those who, by whatever measure, are striving themselves to serve God, the completely "un-churched" continue to sink deeper into the Dark One's grasp.  I'm not advocating free-will religion or acceptance of man-made doctrine on any level, but we should evaluate ourselves to see where our efforts are primarily directed.  In short, where is our focus?

    So, how do we marry the two scriptures above and remain separate from the world while avoiding isolation?
    First, we watch what we say, how we say it, and where we say it.  Someone once said that our most valuable tool can also be the one that brings the most detriment - our mouth.  In our efforts to reach others, we are more likely to win their favor if our speech is not offensive.  We can be effective, and we can be loving without compromising our message or filling it with gratifying flowery rhetoric.  But in our endeavor to be separate, we must carefully choose our words and our settings so as not to isolate ourselves from those who may come to God.  A person will be much more apt to listen to you if you don't insult their intelligence, their character or their personal religious beliefs.  Open condemnation only shuts down communication and isolates one from another. When this happens, there is no reaching hearts and minds, and our harsh words, no matter what the intent, become the very instrument by which our evangelism meets its death.  Be up front, be bold with the power of God's message, but do so under the escort of the Golden Rule.
    Secondly, we pray.  That may seem like a very obvious, elemental suggestion, and I guess it should seem as such.  Contact with God on a daily basis is vital to remembering who we are and to Whom we belong.  Spiritual separation while maintaining societal integration is impossible without constant retrospection to the One we're loyal to.  Pray alone, with your spouse, with your children, and with other Christians everyday.  There is power in prayer and influence that cannot be refuted.  It is our spiritual connection to the Father through the Son, and it is our tool for changing hearts - both our own and the ones we strive to reach every day.
    Ni'ihau is a very lonely island.  So filled with beauty and splendor, yet isolated from the world around it.  Don't let your spiritual world harbor the beauty inside and shut out the precious souls who yearn for solace.  All the knowledge and purity of the "chosen ones" have no bearing on the lives of others when kept in isolation.
 

Mitchell Brown