Speaking to the Soul – October 11

Salt of the earth

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavour? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.” Matthew 5:13

I love it when I hear people being described as the salt of the earth. I wonder who you think about when that expression is used. Let me tell you about three people who spring to my mind. Some years ago I went to stay with an elderly couple who lived in a small community and on my first morning with them they invited me to go for a walk with them. They lived in the middle of the town and within moments the wife popped into the butcher’s shop to hand in a birthday card for one of the staff. And then every few yards they stopped to catch up on the news of different people, asking about how job interviews and hospital visits had gone. They kept apologising to me for bumping in to so many people, but I was being given a stunning picture of the salty influence that they had on their community.

I also think of an aunt of mine who had a senior role in social services. She then retired but her caring continued. She was forever trying to spot the vulnerable and needy people in her community. It was very sad when she died but, appropriately and poignantly, she did so while taking a neighbour to hospital. Her life was one of constant service. She was truly the salt of the earth.

The quantity of salt that we use on a meal is normally very small, but its influence is huge. We may be inclined to look down on the little acts of kindness that we perform but the influence for God will be immense.

The only reason why salt is useful is because it is different from the medium into which it is put. If it was exactly the same, then there would be no point in having it. I believe that Jesus calls us to be different from our communities – not for the sake of being different, but for the sake of blessing them with God’s love, forgiveness and generosity.

QUESTION
Who would you describe as being the salt of the earth, and in what way do they inspire you?

PRAYER
Lord God, thank you for calling me to be salt for you. Help me to have a good influence on all the people I meet today. Amen