“You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:14-16).

For most corporate jobs, time is money, and any casual water cooler chat is centered around popular culture or office gossip. Working in this environment left me confused about how I was ever meant to evangelize and, to be frank, feeling socially excluded and lonely.

I was never watching the shows other people were watching, as I canceled my Netflix subscription and tried to stay away from secular trends like true crime or other salacious content. And any time I was tempted to engage in a conversation based around scandal, I’d simply leave or stay silent.

It didn’t take me long to realize that so many of my work relationships were surrounded by complaining or conspiring. Gossip was the glue that held these so-called friendships together, and they were proving to be a near occasion of sin for me.

A Reversion

My reversion back home to Catholicism happened during my three-year stint at this job (at a magazine publishing company), so the change in my attitude and values was quite drastic. God made me a new creation. I no longer could bear to hear people blaspheme, be part of secular culture, or engage in the premium of office gossip. I felt equally convicted and socially lost.

So, I prayed: “God, I feel like an outcast here. I don’t know how to serve you and to work for your kingdom under these circumstances. What should I do?” He led me to the Scripture passage in Matthew about being salt of the earth and light of the world. I might not be able to convince anyone else to become Catholic (that’s by God’s grace, after all), but I could be a testimonial for how God has changed and enriched my life. So, I started to make my faith abundantly clear, using my Instagram to communicate it and including it in any articles I could.

To make things more complicated, some of the content we were producing at the magazine was centered around modern relationships or feminist attitudes in ways that contradicted my Catholic values. Despite being nervous about others’ opinions of me, especially in such an environment, the Holy Spirit prompted me to be bold and to stand up in kindness and truth.

Responding With Love

I started refusing to take on campaigns that went against my beliefs and to use opportune moments to explain why phrases like “Oh my God” were not appropriate in conversation or published content. The good thing about living during a time that embraces diversity and inclusivity is that our Christian faith can’t be easily dismissed.

I either wouldn’t attend or would leave events early if they involved scandal or inappropriate situations, and I was open about why to my colleagues and manager. I also politely pointed out anti-Christian sentiments to colleagues in emails so that they didn’t feel put on the spot or confronted. These honest moments naturally sparked more conversation and questions about my faith—as well as personal, heartfelt apologies from colleagues when they’d blaspheme in front of me.

The difference was palpable. Suddenly, my boundaries were known in a way that allowed open dialogue and unexpected opportunities to evangelize. I was asked to write about the true meaning of Easter and Christmas for the work newsletter, which went out to around 1,000 employees. Just like that, the answer to my prayer was clear: We must be the light of the world, even when that world feels dark and cold.

And, we must be the salt of the earth, even when we fear rejection and judgment. I can’t say it’s easy to take this stance every day, but please pray for God’s grace that we can continue to pledge our allegiance to Christ, our King, and not the false and empty idols of status, money, or popularity.

I’m still learning not to automatically want to please people and be liked; it’s difficult, and it’s certainly a journey. A confessor once told me not to aim for the opinion of man but to always keep my eyes on God. So, here I am, writing that quote down to remind myself—and, hopefully, to inspire you.

Delphine Chui is a London-based cradle Catholic who strayed away from the Church for over 10 years. Convicted and undeniably pursued by God and Our Lady when she hit 30, she has been chasing truth and love ever since. Her radical reversion saw her completely change her life, taking on a whole new approach to her career, friendships and relationships. A former mainstream magazine journalist, Delphine now works full-time on her charity, CareDogs, which helps bring lonely or socially-isolated older people back into the community through canine companionship. When she’s not attending Traditional Latin Mass or doing something cat/dog-related (she has both at home), she can be found listening to podcasts or journaling. You can connect with her and say hi on Instagram.