You are the salt of the earth.

Did you know that salt is not only a food, preservative and spice, but also an essential element in the created world of living things. Salt, sodium chloride, NaCl, known in mineral forma as halite, is used for more than table spice, pickling, and making ice cream. It de-ices roads. It's an essential ingredient in water softeners, coolants, the making of brass, bronze, steel, dyes, plastics, synthetic fibers, pesticides, fertilizer, bleach, sewage treatment, glass, lenses, prisms, soaps and detergents, pulp for paper, ceramics, rubber, and processing leather. Salt ponds are a promising source of renewable energy. We even get sale from meteors, and it's the presence of salt on Mars that makes some scientist believe that life may exist there.

Ooo, somebody visited the website for the Salt Institute. Yes. I learned that we get our salt from underground mining of salt; by solar evaporation; and by solution mining, with mechanical evaporation. I learned that iodized salt was discovered in the early 19th century to be an effective prophylaxis for goiter.

So what? What is Jesus talking about when he says to his disciples "You are the salt of the earth?"

At the very least, let's go with spice. You are the light of the world.

Wow, light is such a mystery. It illuminates, casting out darkness, conquering fear and ignorance, revealing truth. Light brings warmth and life. Light acts like particles, usually pouring from their source in a straight line and bouncing off mirrors at the same angle it hits them. And light also behaves like waves, rippling and flowing energy vibrating up and down and traveling at speeds greater that any other measurable movement in all creation.

So what does Jesus mean? We are lights in the world? At the very least, our good works, evident to others, bring glory to the God who made us – the God we love and serve.

Bottom line, what really happens when I walk into a room? Do I bring salt and light? What happens when I walk into the workplace? Do I bring an essential element – the spice of life? Illuminating? Understanding? Am I a spotlight on the character of God? When I walk into my school, or onto the playground, or when I moved into my neighborhood, did I bring some critical new thing to the culture of homes? If so, hurray and bring it on. If not, why not?

Jesus says that if salt loses its tastes, it's only as good as dirt. It loses its taste, its power, its purpose. God created us and Jesus recreated us to be salt. And Jesus came to be the light and to light up our lives so that we'd be like a city on a hillside that can't be hidden. So are we? If so, hurray, and bring it on, If not, why not?

Help me out. How do we lose our saltiness? How do we lose our luster?

Can I get it back? How?

The best context for salt and light – relationships

1. Family
   • Parents
   • Kids
   • Siblings
   • Grandparents
2. Friendship
3. Work and school
   • Relationships
   • Modeling behaviors
4. Neighborhood and community
   • Maybe it's overwhelming. Start with one neighbor.
   • Pray and extend yourself
5. Church – spice up this place with dynamic, honest, provocative friendships
6. An area of human need

What if I'm an introvert?

Introverts, choose carefully. Consider anonymous deeds done outside the realm of human observation and enjoy the fact that God rewards deeds done in secret. And with the strength of loving convictions, dare to overcome shyness when God asks for it.

I mentioned anonymous deeds; how do salt and light find form and expression?

• Unexpected kindness
• Doing the hard thing
• Receptivity, availability, hospitality
• Excellence and beauty
• Stubborn friendship
• Character in crisis
• Joy in trial
• Honesty and transparency
• Passion for a cause
• Faithfulness in doing good
• Servant hood and humility
• Both faith and hope

Most importance, what is the source? Again, relationship...

• God the Father
• Son
• Spirit