A few years ago, I came across an odd but intriguing book titled, Salt: A World History. At first glance, it didn’t seem like a very interesting read, but as I progressed through the 500-page work, I was amazed at how central this humble mineral was to human history. For example, did you know that we have a whole host of common words that come from salt? The word “salad” originally described a dish of raw vegetables flavored with a salty brine dressing enjoyed by the Romans. Salary was a term originally describing an allowance given to Roman soldiers to buy salt. Sometimes their payment was salt itself, with which they could trade for other goods. Perhaps many of you have heard the phrase, “he is worth his salt.” Other common words derived from this essential mineral are sauce, salami, sausage and saline. One other nugget for you: Buffalo, New York has its name because of the large natural deposits of salt that were found near the surface in that region. Massive herds of buffalo would swarm the area to satisfy their need for this essential mineral and settlers who observed this phenomenon decided to name the region after these salt-craving beasts.
We might not think too much about salt because it is so abundant and cheap. In fact, we might think of salt as a bad thing because there is too much in our modern diet and it can cause health problems. But this is a modern issue. Throughout human history, salt has been a source of life, riches, and power. It is used to preserve food, flavor meals, cure meats, treat ailments, and even make our roads safer. For most of human history, salt was precious, extremely valuable, and something to be desired. Every animal needs it and many wars have been fought, trying to secure this commodity.
Perhaps this brief background helps us then appreciate a little more, what Jesus is saying in the gospel when he tells his apostles, “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”
That little salt shaker, present today in every home, was unknown in the Middle East at the time of Christ. Only the very wealthy could afford pure salt. Ordinary people had a "salt bag." The salt with all its impurities was placed in the bag, and then used in soup or other liquids for flavoring. Eventually all the salt was gone, leaving only impurities. This is what is meant in the gospel when our Lord asks, "what if the salt loses its flavor?"
As people consecrated to God by baptism, we are meant to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Notice that Christ does not say that “one day you will be the salt of the earth”, no he says you ARE. Right now, where you are, no excuses. He can say this because he is willing and ready to replenish us at any time through prayer and the sacraments. With this in mind, it is time to ask: Do we really act like the salt of the earth? As apostles, are our lives having the same effect in our world? Are we a source of life to those around us? Do we provide the irreplaceable flavor of the gospel to others? Do our thoughts, words, and actions serve to heal and preserve and save from spoils of sin and sadness? Have we lived our faith so well that we are seen as a precious commodity, a resource essential to the life and well-being of others? Or, have we lost our flavor? Have we run empty in the practice of our faith, becoming like that salt bag, full of impurities and other undesirable elements?
Dr. Eleanore Stump, a theologian at St. Louis University offers an insight into the images of salt and light that Christ calls us to be. Salt and light share a funny characteristic. Each of them is discernible by our senses; we taste salt, and we see light, but neither of them is meant to be center of attention. Nobody makes salt for dinner. We put salt on the chicken, but the chicken is the dinner. The chicken tastes better if we salt it; and enjoying the chicken, not the salt, is what we are after. Light is like this, too. We turn on a light not in order to look at the light, but in order to look at other things by means of the light.
So if a Christian is the light of the world, he is enabling the world to see something other than himself. A Christian is to let his light shine in such a way that the people of the world glorify God. The worldly people couldn’t glorify God if God were in darkness for them. So a Christian’s life is to shine in such a way that what the people of the world see is the Lord. The image of salt works in the same way. If a Christian is the salt of the earth, he makes something else appeal to the taste of the people of the earth. The earthly people will savor the goodness of God when Christians are the salt of the earth.
The source of all true and lasting joy and blessing is Christ. That is easy to believe but difficult to live consistently. We turn most readily in thanks to God when things go well, when the spouse and family are happy, when everybody is healthy. But when the inevitable disappointments, tragedies, betrayals, and depressions come, do we go back to the source of spiritual light and salt by faithfully attending Sunday Mass, by staying faithful to daily prayer? Life here will sometimes lose its flavor, and someday will end. But the glorious and eternal truth is that we are salt in Christ, with Him our lives will never lose their flavor. May we enjoy this Divine Salt in our own lives and share it freely as a strength and sustenance now and forever.
