You Are the Salt of the Earth (Matthew 5:13, 14)

Today when we mention that someone is salty we mean it as a bit of a warning. Saying that someone is salty means that the person probably uses less than refined language. We would not expect the individual’s language to come from higher culture, but closer to what we might find at a shipyard. However, saying someone is salty is more of a qualification rather than an insult. We might hear someone say, “So and so is a bit salty, but boy they sure….” Then the compliment follows. Christ calls his disciples the salt of the earth without qualification. We are called to be a salty people because we are the salt of the earth. Is Christ telling us to be like sailors? What does salt have to do with Christ’s mission and divine wisdom?