Saturday, February 4th, 2017
Salt of the Earth
I like the salt metaphor we find in the Gospels. Jesus calls us, his followers, to be salt of the earth. Have you ever heard that phrase used to describe a person? She's the salt of the Earth, is a way of saying she's reliable, trustworthy, and straightforward.
But is that what Jesus had in mind? I suspect like many of his other metaphors and parables, he saw salt in use around him and drew on those observations to teach in a subtle and profound way.
Just as he would call the disciples who were fishermen, to be fishers of men, or describe us as clay in a potter’s hand, or refer to God as a good shepherd, and we his sheep; just like his metaphor of being the vine, and we the branches who bear good fruit- in a similar way I think there may be a metaphor hiding in the salt of the earth comparison.
But why would we want to be salt? Let’s consider three well-known uses of salt.
We use it to flavour our food-- I did some research on why it brings out flavours, and this is what I discovered: Salt is used as a universal flavour improver because at low concentrations it will reduce bitterness, but increase sweet, sour and umami, which is desirable for sweet recipes. But at higher concentrations it suppresses sweetness and enhances umami, which is good for savoury things.
So what about us as Christ-followers? Do we enhance the flavour of the world? Or have we lost our saltiness, and are no good for anything, not even reducing the bitterness around us? Are we making life sweeter, or is our salt in such high concentration that people spit us out of their figurative mouths?
We also use salt in this cold country for melting ice. On paths, roads, and sidewalks, salt ensures we don’t slip and fall, or crash our vehicles into oncoming traffic. Why does it work this way? Adding salt will significantly lower the freezing point of water such that it begins melting back into its liquid form. It has to be a lot colder outside for salt-water to freeze!
So what about us as Christ-followers? Does our presence in the world help people to get a grip on the highway of life? Are we melting the ice of unfriendliness, and distrust such that relationships might grow and so that love may abound? Are we exposing the path beneath our feet so those behind us can follow without fear of slipping? Are we lowering the freezing point so that the hearts of our neighbours melt into love and kindness and good deeds?
We also use salt as a preservative. Before refrigeration existed, meat would be salted and left to dry out in the sun. The salt absorbs all of the water in the food, and since water is essential for bacteria to grow, the food can be kept for a long time without rotting. In a similar way, salt is used In pickling. By adding salt, we create an environment for good bacteria to thrive, which produce lactic acid. At the very same time, salt creates a bad environment for bad bacteria which would otherwise cause the food to spoil.
So what about us as Christ-followers? Are we acting as a preservative in our society? Does our presence create an environment for good attitudes? Does our saltiness foster love, joy, peace, and kindness? Or have we lost our saltiness such that gossip, fear-mongering, ignorance, hatred and other spoilage is the result?
Those are three well known examples, but there are many more. Salt is also used in water softeners-- salt is also one of the main ingredients in paper production - it transforms into caustic soda and chlorine, which are used to soften wood and bleach the paper white. It can also be used to
remove wine and grease stains from carpet,
relieve stings, bites, and poison ivy,
keep windows and windshields frost-free,
deodorize your sneakers, your garbage disposal,
speed up cooking time,
shell hard-boiled eggs with ease,
revive wrinkled apples,
stop cut fruit from browning,
prevent mould on cheese,
extinguish grease fires,
And so much more
Imagine that! Imagine what our world would look like if we were truly salt! Imagine how we would flavour, thaw, and preserve this world! In Jesus’ opening words to his famous sermon on the mount, he gives us a glimpse of the effect we could have, if only we would listen and follow those teachings.
Teachings like
not to murder, or even think evil of your brother,
not to commit adultery, or even hold lustful thoughts,
not to swear falsely, or even swear truthfully,
to not resist evil doers, but to give them all they take, and more
to love your neighbour, and even your enemy
to practice piety, but to do it secretly,
to forgive others,
to watch what you let into your eyes,
to serve only one master,
to not worry about your life, what you will eat, or wear, or to worry about tomorrow,
to not judge others, or even try to fix people around you,
to ask for what you want, to search, to knock, and to find,
to treat others as you would like to be treated,
to be wary of false prophets,
and finally to act on these words.
Those who do these things will make a lasting difference in this world. Let’s make a decision today to be salt of the earth!
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