October 12th, 2013
Matthew 5:13 — Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Which of these seems more like you?
Choice 1: You’re comfortable with yourself, and are making a positive difference in the world. You have a core set of values that dictate your behavior and attitudes, and you value relationships very highly and wouldn’t put your need to be right all the time ahead of personal bonds. Your faith is really important and living a simple life full of happiness and fulfillment is more important than pursuing faith-based truth and righteousness.
Choice 2: When you look at yourself in the mirror you see a spiritual being, first and foremost, functioning in an earthly body. You are willing to live with your means, and committed to being generous in helping others and supporting your church. If a movie or TV program contains immoral or inappropriate content you default reaction is to stop it, and choose something else. You don’t believe it’s possible to live a meaningful or deeply satisfying life apart from God.
It’s amazing how many different kinds of salt you can find in stores nowadays. I searched for salt in Amazon’s “Grocery and Gourmet Food” department and got 18,939 results! When it comes to life, though, I think there’s really only three kinds — salt that has lost it’s savor, salt that does its job and makes everything around it taste a little better, and salt that makes its own distinctive contribution to the “dish” that it’s in.
I’m a great admirer of George Barna, because his research-based insights add a unique Christian flavor to the understanding of our society. In 2009, he published a book called “The Seven Faith Tribes”. Recognizing that America is in crisis, Barna profiles the major spiritual groups in our society and draws together the common values that might form a basis for national restoration.
If “Choice 1” above really resonated with you, you’re not alone. In fact, according to Barna, you are the same as 2 out of 3 Americans, one on 150 million “Casual Christians”. You might be a bit disappointed at the label, but there’s a lot to like about Casuals. In fact Barna describes you as “taking responsibility for making the American Dream — with an emphasis on liberty and happiness — into a reality”. To me, that translates to being the salt that makes everything around you a little better. But be warned, you might be a bit of a disappointment to the master.
If you recognized yourself in “Choice 2”, you are part of a smaller group — one of maybe 36 million “Captive Christians”. Barna says of Captives, “What they lack in numbers they make up for in passion and determination, based on their belief that what they do matters to God and that His love for them compels them to respond in kind by seeking to influence the world for His glory.” To me, that’s the kind of salt that adds its own distinctive flavor to the dish!
Of course, maybe you don’t really see yourself in Choice 1 or Choice 2? Well, maybe it would be worth you reading the book to see where you do fit. Of course there is that third kind of salt … But that couldn’t be you could it … Or you wouldn’t still be reading!