Living With a Purpose

Moment of Clarity With Rev. Lorrie Daly-Price

Feb 9, 2020 | In our reading this week from Matthew’s gospel Jesus is addressing a group of listeners about two basic things we all use which are salt and light. Two things that are both essential for life and growth and are reinforced by many different references in scripture.

I remember hearing the words that a person was the “salt of the earth” in Sunday School, which meant that they were trustworthy, brave, just good solid individuals. Just the way that it was expressed you knew it was nothing exotic, this was not frankincense or myrrh, this was plain old table salt. Salt was regular, not fancy; salt for every day, not just for company. So if we were to be like salt, it meant we were to be useful.

But salt doesn’t work alone. It preserves, it adds flavour, and it zests things up. It changes the way water tastes and the very function of the human body. For salt to work it must be used with something. To be a disciple, Jesus was saying, is to be like salt, mixed right into the middle of life, adding passion and making a difference.

And then Jesus talks about light. Light is like salt, it too is essential for life and growth. It has the power to illuminate things and brings that which is hidden into view. It is measured by what it does, and how it is able to change the environment.