Good Saltiness…

“You are the salt of the earth…” (Matthew 5:13)

Much has been preached over the years regarding this metaphor of salt and its role as a preservative and enhancer of flavor.  Certainly, those are valid and useful things upon which to ponder.  Are we living in a way that acts to help preserve our world from rottenness?  Do our lives cause those around us to experience some of the richness of divine love and goodness?  Or have we gone flat, flavorless, insipid?

Salt is an interesting thing.  It is absolutely necessary for life and health: too little in the blood can actually cause death.  However, too much sodium from salt is the root cause of high blood pressure which can lead to stroke and death.  How can we understand Jesus’ illustration in this way?  Is it possible for me to be “too salty”, metaphorically speaking?

While many of us struggle to be more honest and forthcoming about our faith in public, I think it’s possible to err in the other direction.  We can come on too strongly, be too overbearing in our zeal to evangelize those we love.  Instead of being gentle and respectful of where the other person is in their search for the truth we might – in a rush to be a brave witness – trample on the little shoot of faith that is rising up in them. 

I have certainly experienced this sudden shutting down in the other person because of my own lack of prudence.  What is needed is greater sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, for it is He who is the One who is gently opening the heart.  Any salesmanship from me, from my flesh trying to “close the deal” is doomed to fail.  It’s clearly a balancing act. 

However I don’t want to use my fear of “doing it wrong” to close my mouth and stifle my speaking.  I must strive to be motivated by love for the other person and not by my own ego.  “Speak the truth in love” sums it up; simple but not easy to do.  Prayer is the key, for the Spirit is the one who, in Jesus’ words, will “… convince the world of sin, and righteousness and judgment…”. Let us never forget that Jesus has already conquered sin, death, hell and Satan, and that no matter how many mistakes we might make, the Spirit has promised to be with us as we desire to obey the Great Commission.

Finally, one of the good characteristics of salt is that it can disappear into the food it is seasoning.  It doesn’t call attention to itself.  In fact, when it does, it’s usually a sign that it’s in excess.  “Good salt” is humble.  It is content to be in the background, enhancing everything, making it more desirable.  That’s my prayer: to be someone whose life attracts as I melt more into the background and allow the attractiveness of the Spirit within me shine through to a hurting world around me.  To paraphrase St John the Baptist, “I must decrease so He can increase”. My actions words and actions will still have the unique “flavor” of me of course.  However, my grasping for acknowledgement and acclaim will hopefully become less and less, and all glory will be directed to where it belongs.