Salt

Everyday conversations. On the road. In the store. 

Are my words seasoned with salt? Flavored with the gospel? Purified with truth?

Salt catches my attention while we’re living in a dry and thirsty land. 

On the way to the beach, we pass white fields of sea salt.  Harvested from the Arabian Sea.  

Purifying

One day, a Swiss friend and I discuss the challenges of purifying our drinking water. What flows out of the tap carries some nasty bacteria. 

She serves in a local medical facility at the time. And witnesses daily how devastating unclean water is to the health of the population. 

I ask about another related challenge, “How do you clean your fruit and vegetables? What do you soak them in?”

At the time, we scrub produce, then soak it in filtered water, adding various recommended “purifying” solutions. After another rinse in filtered water, they’re ready to eat.

A complicated process. But necessary. 

Dead Sea

Her answer to the question surprises me.

“I tried some tablets in the water. Then I thought, what about the Dead Sea? Nothing lives in the Dead Sea. Because of the salt. So why not use it to kill the bacteria on my fruit and vegetables?”

Why not?

“And, the bonus? It brings out the flavors.”

Salt purifies. Preserves. And seasons. Bringing out the flavor in our ordinary food. 

Salt and light

Matthew 5:13 reminds me. We are “the salt of the earth.” 

Over the years of cross-cultural communication, I often struggle with how to direct conversations toward the gospel. Especially in places where the mere mention raises alarm. Or resistance.

So, by trial and error, I learn to sprinkle conversations with salt. And light. 

Flavoring them with truth. Speaking of our Savior and His way to life. 

Just in the normal, as-we-go routines. Sipping tea with neighbors. Meeting other moms through our children’s playdates. Riding public transportation to the market. Shopping at the store.

Prepare

In one place where we serve, a friend comes up with a helpful chart. 

On it, our team lists common topics of conversation in our city. Among our friends. 

Prayer. Raising children. Doing good. The meaning of dreams. Evil spirits. Fears. Health issues. God’s care for women. 

Then we find Bible stories and Scripture references that connect. A practical way to prepare the salt shaker beforehand. 

This exercise reminds us: listen carefully. 

And speak the truth. Intentionally.

At a loss

But sometimes, I’m in the middle of daily routines. Walking through transition. Or simply feeling out of place. 

And it happens. 

I meet people and find myself at a loss for words. Struggling to connect with heart issues. 

Clueless.

Ask the Lord

Then I remember. Ask.

Ask the Lord of the salt and the salt shaker. For help. His salt is clarifying. Purifying me and my motives in the process.

Acknowledge the truth. It’s not by eloquence or superior wisdom, but by His Spirit. 

Rehearse the bottom line. Jesus Christ and Him crucified, then resurrected.  He is worthy.

“My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.” 
1 Corinthians 2:4-5 CSB

What about you?

Have you struggled to let the salt flow out of your saltshaker? What have you found helpful in sharing the gospel where you are?

Related posts

Witness – The way of life – The mystery of the gospel – I just can’t – Gospel conversations – Mystery – Living hope – 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 – Matthew 5:13-16 –

Note

This post was originally published in May 2021. While I take a writing break in August, I’m re-posting a random selection from years past.