Turn on the Light & Pass the Salt?

Yesterday in church  we heard Jesus telling us that we are will be salty Christians in the world if we want to make a difference in the world. In the Sermon on the Mount of Matthew's gospel Jesus offers hopeful blessings which turn the ways of the world upside down.Then he tells his ragtag hillside congregation that they will be salt and light, seasoning and illumination for their culture. 

These are spirituals metaphors yet we know that they are based in everyday truth. Our human blood is a mild saline solution and our bodies can't survive without salt. During the course of my lifetime salt has become the enemy,linked to high blood pressure and others illnesses. Yet we can't survive without it and food just tastes better with this mineral seasoning. In Jesus' time it was valuable enough to be used as currency for Roman soldiers (salary). 



Last month we watched an episode of CBC's  The Nature of Things  called Pass the Salt and at the end we were more confused about sodium chloride than when we began. In 1977 a sort of "war on salt" was declared with warnings about the detrimental health outcomes from consuming too much. Yet there is very little scientific evidence that salt is all that bad for us. 

Only one in four humans is salt-sensitive and so we don't really need to hide the saltshaker, although our increased consumption of processed foods means we getting a lot of "stealth" salt and moderation is a good idea. 

Where we do need to lay off the salt is on our roads and sidewalks because the run-offs has a negative effect on our waterways. The eggs of many insects and amphibians are compromised by our road salt runoff.

It is a good reminder that salt is a mineral, mined from the earth or harvested from the seas and oceans -- real Groundling stuff. 

So, great metaphor about living the gospel, and "moderation in all things" when it comes to actual consumption. Thanks for this one, Jesus. 

Here is The Nature of Things link:

https://gem.cbc.ca/media/the-nature-of-things/season-59/episode-9/38e815a-0122947a376