Mike Huckabee Part I: SALT
November 4, 2009Last week, Dan and I went to see Mike Huckabee speak at a small church-related conference. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting from our time there, but I was absolutely blown away by some of the things he said.
For starters, he reminded us that we are commanded to be the salt and the light. (Matthew 5:13-16)
He explained that back in Jesus’ time, salt was not so much used as a seasoning, but rather a preservative. With no refrigeration, people used salt to cure and preserve their meat. After a fish was caught, it was packed in salt to keep it from rotting and decaying.
We are commanded to be the salt, Huckabee said, because it is our responsibility to stave off the decay in the world. A rotting fish will not preserve itself — it is the fish’s nature to rot. In much the same way, what Christians like to refer to as “the world” will not pull itself out of the pit of moral apathy and declining values. It is our job as Christians to go out into the world and be the salt that prevents (or at least slows) the decay that is all around us.
Next up: Light
I particularly like this analogy for the Bible quote about being salt of earth. I’m reading a book all about salt through history which makes this even more apt. Maybe another book group read? Especially fun to start reading while sitting at the beach!
Salt : A World History
by Mark Kurlansky