Salty

A Reflection on the Gospel for Sunday, February 5th, 2023:
The Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Matthew
5.13-16

Jesus said to his disciples: “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.

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before human beings, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

Potato chips.
The ocean.
​People. 

Aside from being three of my favourite things, what do these items have in common? 

They can be salty. 

However, if they’re too salty, it is not ideal. If food is too salty, it’s inedible. If there is too much salt in our oceans, ecosystems become unbalanced. And calling someone salty leans more towards criticism than compliment. But Jesus wants us to be salty! And His concern is not so much there being too much salt but, rather, what happens when saltiness is lost.

As Jesus so often does, He uses what we know to teach us who we are called to be. And we are called to be salty! Salt has worth, just as each of us has worth given by God. In the ancient world salt was currency. It had a monetary value and was traded for goods. And I would dare say that any chef worth their salt (ha!) would say that their food increases or decreases in value depending on their use of this everyday seasoning. God created each of us with value and worthiness beyond measure. The expectation, then, is that we grow that God-given worth in ourselves and others as a means to witness the greatness of our God. As salt of the earth people, we must build up that worth in one another rather than take it away.

So, how does salt lose its saltiness? Science tells us this happens through the process of hydration. When salt molecules absorb too much water from the air they become larger and less dense, and thus less salty. So what causes me to lose my “saltiness”? What do I “absorb from the air” that shrinks my worth? The better question might be: what doesn’t? We can too easily chip away at our own worth or someone else’s.  Each time I have spoken hurtful words or made a selfish choice or turned a blind eye to someone in need I lost a little bit of my own saltiness and also took some away from someone else. There is so much hurt, pain, and sadness in our world. When I focus on all the bad, the bad can easily chip away at my sense of worth and edge out the good. Yet my worth does not come from the world. And so it cannot be taken away by the world either. My worth comes from a good and gracious God who has rooted Himself in the depths of my heart.  In that worth is joy, healing, love. In taking the time and allowing myself to listen to His voice tell me of my worth, the good can overcome the bad. When I give God the space, His voice, which at times can dull to a whisper, can regain strength and become louder, reminding me of my worth and how salty I need to be.




Aurea Sadi

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