“I sit at the corner of the table,
I don’t talk a lot, I just add flavour,
Too much of me, they abhor,
Too little, they ask for more,
Medicine when the throat is sore,
Diffused in the air of every seashore,
Yet, they don’t speak of me a lot,
Ubiquitous seasoning—no complains, no fraught,
The focus is on the flavour and not the agent,
I am there yet I remain latent.”
-The table salt
The humble salt, which is a central flavouring agent is almost never spoken of despite the fact that it comes to use multiple times a day. It brings in flavour yet the compliments go to the finished dish. Nobody says “the salt in the food tastes good”. However, when there is less or excess of it, we are quick to point it out. It not only enhances flavour but is also used as a preservative—it prevents the rotting of fruits and vegetables through the method called pickling. Yes, it saturates the pickled food with its flavour but does not change its basic structure and texture.
God’s love is like the salt—the central part of our life yet the focus is on our life, not the agent that brings flavour to it. His love does not boast of the flavour it brings into our lives and yet, it stands as a significant part that we cannot do away with. His love preserves our uniqueness and prevents the rotting of our creativity, talents and overall personality. Let our love be like the salt, which does not boast but quietly, without any pomp, adds flavour to others’ lives—to deliberately seek to influence the ones around us by showing them the unconditional love of Christ through good deeds. Surely, this condiment has a lot to teach.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
Matthew 5:13