Our Salty Job

"You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot." (Matthew 5:13, NRSV)

I have read this passage from Matthew's gospel many times in the past few weeks. The whole salt metaphor that Jesus described on the mountain just flew over my head.

I began to think of the Gospel as a living text, attempting to find meaning today. What is salt used for today? Well, we add it to our foods, such as corn or tomatoes, and it enhances the flavors. It is just that: it enhances the flavor. You don't hear people comment on how good the salt is, but rather how good the food is.

This is the exact kind of life God is calling us to. We are seasoned onto the earth as salt, enhancing the flavor of the world. We aren't drawing our attention to ourselves, but to the world God created.

This past week at school, our Dean of Students came to our classroom and told us that local businesses were complaining to the administration that the students were littering mass amounts of trash, which would cause the city of Little Rock to fine the school. If this were to happen, the administration would take away our off-campus lunch privilege. Many of the students claimed that the liter could also come from other individuals, including adults. Our teacher told us "That is a part of being a kid. It's sad, but true. If anything bad were to happen, it would first be blamed on the teenager."

Like my teacher said, it's sad, but true. We live in a world where teenagers are looked down upon because we are still learning, and as apart of that process, we are making mistakes. That truth makes our "salty" job even more difficult.

When Oklahoma was struck by a tornado this past May, I immediately contacted my Rector, and we worked together to create an evening prayer service for the victims and the survivors. We put together the readings, hymns, and prayers, and then my Rector was the officiant, and I was the acolyte. We got the Parish organist involved, as well as a person to read the lessons. It was a beautiful service with a good crowd for a last minute weekday evening. A few weeks later, a parishioner came up to me in surprise that I was the one who worked with my Rector to put together the service. They told me how inspirational it was for them, and how it enhanced their faith.

This is the exact kind of saltiness we are called to: not to take credit or draw attention to ourselves, but to enhance the world that is already in place. Yes, it is very hard to do this as a young person, but it can certainly be done. How? Because we have a God who seasoned the world with our saltiness, intending that people's faith will be enhanced.