BE the Salt

If ever there was a need for spiritual salt it is today, for our world is one gaping wound in need of healing. In Matthew 5:13 where Jesus gives his Sermon on the Mount, he uses salt as a metaphor for spiritual seasoning in a wounded and flavorless world.  Salt preserves and enhances but it is also a chemical we cannot live without. When Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth” he equated us with a precious commodity, but one only beneficial if it retains its usefulness; for saltless salt is worthless.

Spiritual Salt: Balance

Salt, in its natural form, is only good when applied in small doses.  Medical saline often pumped into the human body to raise electrolytes is a .09 solution (think 99% water + 1% salt).  It does not take much to be beneficial, but knowing the right amount is critical.  Too much is harmful and too little ineffective, and so it is with spiritual salt. We are to lead a balanced life, that is earmarked by moderation in all things. “Let your moderation be known by all men” Saint Paul wrote to the church at Philippi. Your self-control, whether it is in eating or drinking or behavior, is an action that will not go unnoticed by others.

Spiritual Salt: Talk Less

People talk much and say little these days. We shoot from the lips and often apologize later but the damage is done; words cannot be unsaid.  Sacred Scripture has a great deal to say about the vocalization of our thoughts which are bookended by two key ingredients, speak less and speak graciously.

Proverbs 10:19 “When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” Being salty means not having loose lips.  They sink battleships and friendships and cause irreparable harm.  Speaking less is one way to keep our spiritual salt balanced for the benefit of others and a way to avoid sin.

Spiritual Salt: Speak Graciously

Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Graciousness is a form of salt.  It means being polite and kind in every circumstance.  Gracious speech is palatable to everyone.  Friends, neighbors, family, parishioners, strangers, and people you can’t stand at work or school will take notice of your rightly seasoned speech.    

Spiritual Salt: Listen More

In addition to limiting the use of our vocal cords, Sacred Scripture emphasizes listening as a vital spiritual discipline.  Saint James wrote, “be quick to hear, slow to speak" (James 1:19).  Learning to listen requires concentration that focuses away from ourselves. Active listening is equated with wisdom, but it too must be in moderation.  Our ears are not a dumping ground for gossip, crude jokes or negativity.  Just as our outgoing speech is to be filtered so it is with our listening.  And what is the filter? The Word of God.  Knowledge of Sacred Scripture enables us to discern when to speak, when to listen, and when to do neither. 

Spiritual Salt: Live Quietly

Saint Paul wrote in 1 Thess 4:11 “Study (philotimeisthai is Greek “to strive”) to live quietly, to attend to your own matters, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you.”

Recently I read a book about the Cappadocian Fathers, (Basil, Gregory of Nyssa and Gregory Nazianzus) and one of the major themes in their correspondence with one another was the desire to live in peace and quiet, though later as bishops that rarely happened.  God wants us to “be still and know that I am God” and to “be anxious for nothing” but because it runs contrary to our human nature this lifestyle takes practice.  The world has become a very noisy place, so noisy that unbelievers have turned to everything from transcendental meditation and yoga to chemical dependency as ways to manifest peace.     

When Jesus found himself constantly surrounded by people who either wanted to be fed or healed, he needed a space to recoup spiritually in communion with the Father and the Spirit.  In fact, Jesus is often recorded in scripture as seeking solitude in the early morning or evening or even all night.  But even when Jesus could not get away, he practiced quiet in the midst of noise.  Jesus was the master of speaking, but he also mastered not speaking.  On several occasions he was asked a question yet remained silent.  This was a habit my own father had perfected, just because someone asks you a question does not mean you have to answer!  God himself exemplified the “right to remain silent.”  Show the world by your example that there is a peace that passes all understanding.

There is no better example of the salt of the earth than our heavenly Lord.  Study his ways and you will fulfill his command.