Salt of the Earth

You are the salt of the earth: but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? Matthew 5:13a

I had no plan to quote from the Sermon on the Mount two days in a row, but there it is. Ontario is running low on the salt it uses on the highways in abundance. Obviously officials weren't prepared for a much harsher winter than in previous years, along with the snowiest February since record-keeping was established. We choose to use one of the alternatives to salt on our sidewalk and driveway because of the damage salt can do to our watercourses and vegetation. But it sure makes a difference on the roads.

I have seen film and photos of the salt mines near Goderich Ontario which extend out under Lake Huron. There is plenty of salt down there but it is a matter of getting it where it is needed. In Jesus' day salt was a precious commodity which was used to pay Roman soldiers --hence the term salary. We put so much of it in our food that our doctors warn of its effects. Take a look on cereal boxes. Many of our breakfast favourites contain between 12 and 15% salt! When we visited our friends on the farm I carried a hefty salt block out for the cows and the horses. The sheep got the cone which was left over from the old block.

As Christians we are called to be a flavour-enhancing seasoning for our world, not a poisoning. Somehow we need to see ourselves as absolutely necessary without being overbearing in our witness.

Have a salty day.