Feb82026
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Salt of the Earth.

There was a cooking competition on the Food Network. A woman chief was standing calmly in front of the oven, stirring a pot, while the guy chief was running back and forth frantically from the pantry. He was chopping, mixing, and putting things in the oven. After he plated, I thought he was going to win. His steak had perfect diamond grill marks and had creamy mashed potatoes with a rich-looking sauce. He lost. The judges asked him. “Did you forget the seasoning?” He put his head down and said, “Yes.” Are you kidding? Salt is the cheapest thing in the kitchen. It is the easiest thing to do. You just pitch or shake. You do not even have to measure. Salt is so important because it brings out the best in the food.

When Christ says that we are the salt of the earth, it is a little insulting, don’t you think? Can’t I be something more exciting, like a lobster tail, a hot chili pepper, or apple pie à la mode? Yes, salt doesn’t cost us that much, and it is the easiest thing we can do when we cook, but without it, everything is bland. But with it, we bring out the best in everything. Maybe for Christ, easy and cheap is the formula.

Ben Sira has a beautiful eulogy of King David, listing his many accomplishments. He listed his military success, expanding the borders, unifying the twelve tribes of Israel, and preparing for the building of the great temple.  I was thinking about that. I am now sixty-five, and so I am in touch with my own mortality. I thought about my own top ten achievements in life, and the list is not very impressive. Nothing anyone would consider great, just easy and not too costly. Maybe that is what people appreciate the most. Picking someone up at the airport during rush hour, or driving in a snow storm to pick up a repair kit for the circulating pump before everyone freezes in the house, or finding the matching sock in a pile of clothes for the homeless ministry.

I once visited my mother. When I got there, Mom was alone in her room, sitting in her wheelchair, slouched over. I tapped her on the shoulders, and she looked up and saw me holding her mocha frappe. She was so surprised to see me. She said, “I thought you had a convention all week. I said, “I did, but they gave us a two-hour lunch break.” She was so happy and surprised to see me that her eyes watered, and then the waterworks. I said, “Mom, it’s just me.” She said, “You told me you couldn’t come today, but I was still hoping.” That is what we do. For Christ, the formula for greatness does not cost us much, and it is not hard. Know this, we are the best thing that ever happened to the world. Without salt, everything is bland. But when we live Christ’s life, we bring out the best in everyone.

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