You are the Salt of the Earth
Remember when salt was a blue box of Mortons? It may still be at your house, but at our house we have several different kinds of sea salt, kosher salt, smoked salt, truffle salt, even himilayan pink salt. I love it all. I think the only thing I use the Morton salt for now is to clean my cast iron pans. Now I know that for some really good health reasons we need to be temporent about our use of salt, and if you have trouble with blood pressure that you may have to abstain from salt completely. But for most of us temperance does not have to mean absolute abstinence. Temperance should mean appropriate moderation according to your specific situation.
In today’s Gospel Jesus says to his disciples and us “You are the salt of the earth.” In ancient times salt was more than simply a table condiment or seasoning. Salt was extremely valuable and not so easy to come by. You could pay your debts with salt which is where the word “salary” comes from. Salt was valuable and somewhat rare, hard to find. It was also used to purify and preserve food, especially meat. Preserving food could mean the difference between surviving or dying, life and death. No wonder it was valuable. As good and valuable as salt is though, you can use too much and at times such as in the medieval period in places where salt was in plentiful supply you might be punished with salt, where your field might be salted to the point that it was dead to any growth or cultivation of a crop. But used in healthy moderation it can purify and preserve, salt can bring out the best flavors and culinary aspects of food.
Jesus says “You are the salt of the earth... you are the light of the world.” I think it is important to note that Jesus didn’t say, You are like the salt of the earth or like the light of the world. Nor, you should be the salt or the light. Jesus says “you are.....you are salt... you are light.” Maybe part of what Jesus is trying to say here is “just be... just be who you are....be salt and be light.” It seems that we are barraged constantly from all sides to be something else than what we are. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a young person today when you get these unceasing, relentless admonitions to be something else. The presumption is always that you’re not what you should be so be what we’re telling you to be. Be like this character in the ad or be like this guru who claims to have it all figured out.
I suspect that when we project ourselves, trying or thinking we need to be like someone else that it simply gives us some time to avoid being who God made us to be. We can put off truly being the people God is calling us to be if we can focus on how we’re not like these idols that get pitched to us on every corner by the world. Maybe you should just be you and let that moderately season the world through your relationships with those you encounter. Just be you and let the light of who you are cast some hope and faith and love into the darkness of the world. I know, at least in my life there have been occasions when someone has experienced me in such a way that they say something like, “Hey, you know what, I really get it now, I understand who you are and what you’re about.” Isn’t it wonderful when that happens? I know I’ve certainly experienced it in others. A while back I reconnected with an old friend from high school and it brought to mind lots of good memories of singing in the Trumann High School Varsity Choir. My best friend, Wendel Owens, recruited me for the choir enticing me with how much fun it would be and that we’d get to go on trips. I sort of backed into it without a great deal of expectations having never really been exposed to that type of choral music. For a small town high school of about 400 students we had an astounding music program. It seemed like everyone was in the choir. The first day our director, Mr Erwin put us on the risers and gave the sopranos one note, then the altos another note, and then the tenors and then the bass singers. And had us sing together; it was just a chord but I was amazed.
And then later when we’d worked through an actual song, piece by piece, part by part, and we sang it through together for the first time. It was an acapella piece, I think it was Hassler’s Dixit Maria, and as the harmonies grew and the sound swelled, I was almost overcome. It was like I went to a different plane. I looked around at all my classmates who I’d known since 1st grade and I was mystified that our motley bunch was creating this incredible music. It was like salt seasoning the room and light finding darkness in a corner. I had a newfound respect for Mr. Erwin; how did he get all of that out of us. I was hooked. It was one of the most profound experiences in my high school years.
We all bring our voices here but we also bring a lot more , our respective gifts, our true selves, just as God created us. When we can stop trying to be something or someone else that the world thinks we should be, when we can be fully ourselves as God created us, something as profound as that swelling musical harmony happens. A profound integrity and life giving force emerges that affects those around us in a transformative way, and of course it transforms us as well. It opens hearts, and restores sight, and sets us free. AMEN.
The Rev. Dr. Dennis Campbell
