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By J. Adam Tyler
Guest Columnist

Our world right now is a chaotic place. War, politics, economic turmoil, uncertainty over the future and concern for the present – this is our reality, whether we want it or not; if you are anything like me, it is somewhere between a mild worry and a tremendous burden. In such times, it can be hard to know how to live as people of faith, or even just people of responsible goodwill.

In his most famous teaching, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus helps us understand how to live in the midst of a tumultuous world. He begins with a description of those who are blessed in the kingdom of God: the merciful, the poor, the peacemakers, the meek, folks not exactly considered to have a leg up in life as we know it. But Jesus isn’t describing life as usual; he is describing life in the new kingdom he is bringing about, the new reality and life that he is making possible.

And then he turns to his disciples and says, “You are the salt of the earth.” (Matthew 5:11)

Why would Jesus call them – and us – salt?

Salt has been a vital and valuable mineral for millennia. Mark Kurlansky, writing on the history of salt, notes that the words salary and soldier draw their linguistic roots from the use of salt as an occasional method of payment for the Roman army. Though not a Roman paymaster, Jesus was acquainted with the uses and value of salt, and he uses it as a metaphor with implications that still apply to us today.

First, salt seasons. Added to food, it brings out juices, enhances flavors, and raises the bar on the taste of our food. In the same way, Jesus says, when we are out in the world, we should be bringing out the best in others; when we exhibit joy, peace, kindness, compassion, courage, and goodness, it draws those same characteristics out of others, too.

Second, salt has long been a tool for preserving food. Pastor Rich Villodas says, “Long before we had refrigerators and freezers, salt was the main thing used to preserve food from decay and corruption. This is the assignment Jesus gives to you and me, as his disciples. We work for the preservation of the world. Wherever decay surfaces, Jesus calls us to be a preserving presence. We are to combat the decay of a broken world with the salt of our presence. Whether the decay is racism, poverty, gossip, relational dysfunction, or something else, Jesus calls us to preserve the good that exists.”

I don’t know about you, but I think our world could use some salty folks right now: people who, by being good and just and joyful and kind bring that out in others, and people who actively work to enhance the good that exists while protecting it from corruption. This is our holy task. Will we be salty?

REV. DR. J. ADAM TYLER is the senior pastor for Farmville Baptist Church, and he can be reached by email at pastor@farmvillebaptist.org.