Salt and Light

Jesus said that we are to be salt and light in this world.  What is so special about salt and light that these two merited this command? 

Salt

In Matthew 5:13 Jesus told his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people.”

Physically speaking, salt acts in several ways.  It is a flavor enhancer, provides a healthy mineral, and acts to heal and preserve. It brings out the flavor of something otherwise dull or tasteless, making it palatable.  Have you ever accidently bought a can of unsalted green beans? As a healthy mineral, it keeps us hydrated by maintaining fluid levels needed to survive.  Medically, salt staves off infection and inflammation.  Lastly, salt works as a preservative to delay the process of decay, which came in handy prior to refrigeration.  Physically, salt in moderation is beneficial.

Spiritually speaking, in this analogy Jesus is saying that we as Christians are to be pure in an impure world, and in doing so, draw people to jim. Salt in its natural form does not lose its flavor.  If we think of Christ as salt, we can say it is pure and undefiled, thus unable to lose his saltiness. However, salt may lose flavor when it is polluted by addition to, or diluted by subtraction from its purity.  This kind of salt represents us.  Christ is the pure salt and we are to be as close to his level of purity as humanly possible. Therefore, our saltiness must always be checked for quality to be effectively useful. For example, the purity of a marital relationship is polluted by the addition of adultery. Likewise, the purity of a good act is diluted when the motive is malicious. 

In order to maintain a potent state of spiritual saltiness, the Christian must remain pure and untainted by the world.  St. James calls it “pure religion” in the sight of our God and Father (James 1:27). Jesus is no longer physically present in this world, and God relies on his Church (that’s us) to be the influence that leads people to him.

Light

In Matthew 5:14 Jesus told his disciples, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Physical darkness is the absence of light.  Without the stars, including our sun, there would be no day. Now a rock could care less if there was a sun or not, but most living things require light to live either directly or indirectly. A plant uses photosynthesis to grow by changing light energy into chemical energy it can use. Humans use light to see with their eyes; what good are eyes without light? Light dispels darkness, but it also attracts.  Sunflowers turn their heads toward the sun as they grow, and sailors once relied on the beacon of a lighthouse, not because it completely dispelled the darkness, but a single ray of light could cut through and lead them to safety.

Spiritually speaking, God is pure light, without shadow of turning.  As the sun or a flashlight guides our body through use of our eyes, God guides our spirit through our enlightened minds and hearts.  In John 8:12 Jesus says to his disciples, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”  Spiritual light is spiritual life and for this reason God desires us to be his lights shining in a spiritually dark world.  The sun will not lead a soul to God any more than a flashlight will, because God’s light is not of the material realm. Here Christ uses light as our becoming a heavenly source for the world to see their way to God. The more Christlike we become, the more his light shines for others to see. When Moses spent time in the presence of God on Mount Sinai, then descended to the Israelites below, his face shone radiantly before the people (Ex. 34:35). 

How to be Salt and Light

Both salt and light, though real objects, are used metaphorically by Christ to help us understand how we may positively impact the world around us.  To accomplish this we must first be purified and charged by maintaining a right relationship with God, the source of life and light.  This is done by partaking in the sacraments, reading our bible, meditation, and prayer which all nourish our spirit.  Second, we live out our faith in our thoughts, words and deeds. When we do this, we add spiritual flavor and light to a tasteless and darkened world.  Consider Colossians 4:6, “Your speech must always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” 

Salt and light, like faith and works, are active ingredients in the Catholic life.  Keep your spiritual salt from becoming diluted, and your heavenly flashlight charged by sticking close to the cause of salt and light – God – and you will be a source of good for this world.