.....flavor

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. Matthew 5:13

During a radio interview, an American journalist asked his British guest, “Do you celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK?” The Brit replied, “Yes, but we celebrate it on the 6th of September.”

“Why then?” the American asked. “That’s when you left,” he quipped.

His response reminds us that not everyone celebrates our presence. As the old saying goes, “Some people brighten the room when they enter; others, when they leave.” Which raises an important question for those of us who are followers of Jesus: Which are we?

In Matthew 5:13, Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” Salt was incredibly valuable in Jesus’ day. It preserved food and enhanced flavor. Even today, salt transforms a meal, bringing out richness and depth that wasn't there before. However: salt only works when it maintains its essential nature. If it loses its saltiness, it becomes worthless — good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

Jesus didn’t call us to blend into our surroundings or just take up space. He calls us to make a difference. He intends for us to preserve what's good, to heal what's broken, and to bring out the best in every situation we encounter. Our presence should leave things better than we found them.

But transformation requires intentionality. It means choosing to listen more than we speak, encourage rather than complain, and love without strings attached. When we live this way, people don’t just tolerate our presence — they’re genuinely grateful for it.

The question isn't whether you're perfect — none of us are -- but whether you're salty. Are people better for having been around you? Do you bring out goodness in others? When you leave a conversation, a meeting, or a gathering, is there a lingering sense that something valuable was present?

We are the salt of the earth. Let's make sure we haven't lost our flavor.

- adapted from alan smith

Father, you’ve called me to be salt in this world. Restore my flavor when I lose it. Make my presence a blessing and let me leave every place better than I found it — not for my glory, but for yours. In Jesus' name, amen.