Fifth Sunday of the Year

Salt and light

We have heard the expression someone is ‘worth their salt.’ In Roman times soldiers were paid in salt. Salt was a valuable and portable currency for barter. We might say of someone they are ‘the salt of the earth’ in relation to their moral character and integrity.

Salt as a flavouring is straightforward enough, but salt is a necessary biding agent as well as flavouring especially in pasta and bread. Without it pasta is just a mush. Salt simply must go into the food to change it from within.

Before modern technology salt was used in food to preserve it ever before refrigeration, and used to clean out wounds – rubbing salt into wounds was a painful remedy.

Therefore salt symbolises something that is of irreplaceable value, gives flavour, heals, binds and preserves what is good.

Salt and the other symbol Jesus uses, that of light, operate and have value in proportion to the level of association with the thing they want to change, therefore we must get up and get involved and not sit on the shelf.

Therefore I suggest that if we are somehow called to be like salt in Jesus words, ‘salt of the earth’ – we are called in five ways  that I can think of

1. To realise our irreplaceable value, and therefore we and others are called to reflect on our value to others and others potential to the good
2. To give flavour, to be a positive contribution to life
3. To heal – to heal people’s hurts and to bring comfort to those who are alone,
4. To bind – to combine and be engaged in life in a positive unifying manner – a source of unity and not division
5. To preserve what is good – to reflect on and be active on our role in passing on the Faith as well as preserving what is good in society, particularly the good of marriage, in a time of challenge and change

Like salt, we are not substantial, and humble enough, and sometimes taken for granted in substance but when called upon, like salt in the kitchen, we can make all the difference. No one eats salt on its own for its own sake. Salt only has value in combination with other food, and in small quantities.

We must engage in society if we want to change it. Christ wants us to be actively engaged in serving our neighbour and being an example of faith.