If Salt Vanish Away

También disponible en español

A few days ago I came across a television program about salt. The show explores some of the 14,000 known uses for this mineral, ancient and modern.^[1] This subject got a hold of me. It opens the door to many interpretive opportunities to continue our exploration of Jesus’ metaphor when he said:

“Ye be salt of the earth; 

 that if the salt [shall] vanish away, wherein shall it be salted? 

 To nothing it is worth over, 

 but that it be cast out, and be defouled of men.”^[2]

You and I are the Salt of the Earth. We explored this concept in our previous article. This time around, I would like to explore the meaning of salt vanishing away. 

The word, “vanish” derives from the Greek verb μωραίνω (mórainó), which literally means to make tasteless, useless, contaminated, and even dumb – yes, from the Greek root, μωρός (mōrós), we derive the word moron. 

What does it mean, then, that salt vanishes? What conditions may render salt null? How can we lose our qualities? How can the essence of who we are in our race of faith disappear? Table salt, by the way, does not lose its properties easily and does not degrade naturally. However, our bodies need other salts to properly perform its metabolic functions, which could vanish by dilution, decomposition, and devaluation.

If Salt Becomes Dull
Most of the English translations for this passage focus almost exclusively in one specific use of salt: seasoning. The most common phrases are: “if the salt has lost its savor,” or “loses its saltiness,” or “has become tasteless.” 

You and I must give life its flavor. We must bless our land and the men and women with whom we share our lives with. We must offer them reasons to live, to dream, and to serve. We must dose peace, joy, love, goodness and, just as we Latinos say, Sabor! We cannot allow ourselves to lose these qualities. If we lose flavor, we leave ourselves dulled, useless, and we will then be excluded from our circles of influence and left to public shame.

If Salt Becomes Diluted
When we sweat, the concentration of salt in our bodies diminishes. If we add to this our natural impulse to drink large amounts of water in fear of dehydration, the result could produce dangerous consequences. Dehydration is not the enemy of the endurance athlete; quite the contrary, it is a condition known as hyponatremia, or water intoxication. Water excess dilutes salt to such low levels that it may reach the point of causing cramps, nervous malfunction, coma, and even death.^[3]

You and I must not get diluted. We dilute ourselves when we keep silent in the face of injustice, participate in peevish conversations, or ignore others' pain or their needs. We dissipate ourselves when we twist information for our own benefit, slander our neighbor, or gossip against other Christian believers. We must reflect a higher moral standard. We must run our race of faith to the point of making ourselves noticed and even appear strange to others, just as Saint Peter said: (1 Peter 4:4 KJV):

“They think it strange

 that you do not run with them

 in the same flood of dissipation.” 

If Salt Becomes Decomposed
Salts are chemical compounds. Table salt is sodium chloride. As indicated by its name, it is the combination of chlorine and sodium. Decomposition would imply the separation of these elements, which is possible through an electrical current. Chlorine separates into a greenish yellow gas, highly venomous and stifling, while sodium groups into a light metal, highly reactive and explosive when in contact with water. 

You and I must not get decomposed. We decompose when we foment fascism, stimulate discord, provoke friction, and bicker in bitterness. We contaminate ourselves with our explosive attitudes, making ourselves venomous in our dissensions  and suffocating others with our extreme religiosity. We must live in the God-given grace and give grace to allow others to live. Our life style must match our message and our message must match our life style. 

If Salt Becomes Devalued
Salt had so much value in ancient times that it was often used as currency. It is said that soldiers and athletes were paid in salt portions for their work; hence they got paid their sal-ary.^[4] Jesus parable suggests, in modern terms, how stupid it would be to receive your salary in, let us say, currency paper, and cut the face value or serial number, clear its ink or alter it chemically, or burn it away. 

You and I must not get devalued. We devalue ourselves when we lose our role as spiritual leaders in our homes; we retire from the conversation when our society discusses moral issues, or ignore the unethical procedures of the organization we work for. Every time we behave in this manner, we make ourselves useless. Jesus implied that this behavior is as stupid as burning money. The value you and I contribute to the world is sal-vation. Without salvation, this world is dysfunctional, nervous, borderline comatose or even worse, close to being spiritually dead.

---

NOTES: 
^[1] How Stuff Works: Food and Beverage: Salt; Season 1; Discovery Channel; January 29, 2009. 
^[2] Quoted from Matthew 5:13 WYC. This reference also appears in Mark 9:50 and Luke 14:34-35. 
^[3] Burfoot, Amby, Drink to your Health, Runner’s World; Last accessed, October 26, 2012. 
^[4] Salary, Wikipedia; Last accessed, October 25, 2012.