“You are the salt of the earth and light of the world!”
Jesus spoke those words about folks who would come to believe in him; his message and his sacrificial gift.
Os Hillman, a modern day prophetic voice for believers in the market place, writes a daily newsletter entitled TGIF (Today God Is First). He recently wrote about “salt” and “light”.
When I read his words, I was reminded of the times growing up when my mom or g’mom would pour salt on a cut while I yelled “OUCH” at the top of my lungs. Salt in my young days was a common antiseptic and coagulate; readily available when needed. It was an almost instant healing agent -but first it stung like the dickens!
The metaphor that came to me as I thought of salt and light had little to do with how Os used it. I think of how often those of us who believe are called to speak words of hard truth to those we love and how those words sting like the dickens.
I don’t mean the use of salty words such as one might expect to come from the lips of sailors. I’m referring to times we must speak a truth that before it can stop the bleeding or heal a wound - will sting. Words spoken in truth and love that have a bite to them.
I wonder if Jesus thought the same thing when he made that remark to those about him. He certainly spoke words that stung at times, i.e. telling Peter “get thee behind me. . . !” I suspect that salt was used in the same manner in his day as my mom used it in my childhood days. He must have known that to be salt that has not lost its savor - we would have to speak up and out to those we love the most. Words that would be painful before they bring healing to an aspect of another’s life.
In this context, salt and light go together. How often have you had someone say something to you that momentarily stung. Only to give way to new understanding. The dawn of a new piece of wisdom.
Sometime ago, I ‘ranted’ about a church sign that extolled the virtue of silence. My complaint being that for too long, Christians of either gender have remained silent. The same is true in our relationships with others - especially those most important to us. We have a tendency to remain silent when we know we ought say something, but fear our words will sting.
Without the sting, there often is no light! No dawning of consciousness about something that needs the light of day. Theresia wrote about it a few weeks ago - the friend/mentor who dared to speak the truth to her in such a way as to prod growth and movement.
I’m not advocating unbridled criticism or hurtful words spoken out of the context of loving care for another. We can give utterance to words with meanings that will sting, in such a way that the recipient of our words knows we say them because we care enough to risk saying them!
To carry the metaphor one step further. My mom would pour that white stuff on the cut; quickly set the box aside and take me in her arms with loving reassurance while I sobbed out the sting. There was no healing without first the pain.
When we love another (spouse, children, dear friends, business associates) enough to risk salty words, we participate in the divine scheme of things. A scheme we may not appreciate. A scheme that says “first the pain - then the gain!” Whether we’re the saltor or the saltee, first it will hurt - then it will heal!
It was a funny take on what Os Hillman wrote about us being the “salt of the earth - the light of the world”. One might say it was a divinely directed metaphor. I doubt that many think of that passage of Scripture in quite the same way. But I suspect there’s a nugget (or kernel) of fact and truth in how I took it.
I don’t think I’ve said what I wanted to say or meant to say in the best manner it could be spoken. It’s not an easy subject - but it is a good subject for Sunday.
Perhaps one of the things institutions charged with helping us grow in grace, wisdom & stature could do, is teach us how to use salty language with an attitude and embrace of love.
Speaking truth in love to those we love is never something for which we should be ashamed. If we are going to be salt - then we need to learn to pour it on!
If we are going to be light, we need to stick around until the pain is gone and the wound has healed. And we need to know that with the sting must come the embrace of sensitive understanding.
Let us use our words wisely. Let us not fear to be salt as need be, and let us be the light in someone’s day.
Have an awesome evening with much love and rich blessings.
Author Resource:-
Linda S. Fitzgerald, M.S.Ed, has a passion for enriching, empowering and encouraging women to achieve their God-given destiny. A professional therapist by background and destiny-design coach, she is chief architect for the web’s newest online COMMUNITY for all women whether over 40 or not! Please visit http://www.awomensplace.org/blog for great information on topics of interest to women transitioning through life’s most exciting season. Checkout http://www.awomensplace.org to join dynamic women of excellence as we journey through the 2nd half of life together!
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