Last week I wrote about the Beatitudes and what being blessed actually means. After this section Christ continues with the Sermon in the Mount with an interesting affirmation: “You are the Salt of the Earth! … You are the Light of the World….” (Matthew 5:13-14) What did he mean by that?

We use salt nowadays mainly as a flavour-enhancer, and yes, it was used for that as well in the old days. Without salt many dishes taste dull and blah. In addition it had a much more important function, though, and we still know that from our Bermuda codfish and potato dish.

Salt is a preservative, and back then it was about the only preservative used. Salt keeps foods edible for times of need, especially fish, meat and fermented vegetables like sauerkraut.

When Christ calls his listeners Salt of the Earth he calls us to preserve the Earth, to make sure the needs of people can be met even in the most difficult times. He uses the image of salt metaphorically.

Christ believes in us

Wow, Christ trusts us, regular people, who receive His word, to go out there and make a difference, preserve life and meet needs. What a charge! He tells us: go out there and care. Go out there and make a difference. Spice life up. Keep this Earth a place where all people can live, not only because they have food, but everything that is needed to continue.

Christ invites you and me to be encouragers, or perhaps as we call them today “influencers”, people who give life a better taste. We need this. So much of what we hear or read daily has a bitter aftertaste and can be discouraging, especially in times of uncertainty and outrage like we find ourselves living in.

Peter, who was one of those who listened to these words when Christ spoke them, writes in 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV): “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the Devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

We are called to preserve

We are called to preserve the Earth and life on it. While this includes our neighbour, whom we are called to love like ourselves, it also includes the whole of creation on Earth. We are called to preserve life on the planet.

Earth is the only one we have and any fantasy about flying to other planets, whether in our solar system or far beyond, to live there, is just that. It has its place in science fiction novels. And even if it were possible, why would anyone want to switch life on Earth for a dusty red planet? It is not an option.

So yes, creation care is not only put on our hearts by God in the creation story. Genesis 2:15 (NIV) says: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

And in Genesis 1:28 (GNT) God “blessed them, and said, ‘Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals.’”

Christ also charged us to be good stewards of creation (Mt 5:13) and adds what will happen if we don’t fulfil this commission: “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.”

Creation care and conservation efforts can be challenging and require a change of heart. We are by nature resistant to change. Conserving energy or water is not just about saving money (we seldom calculate the running cost of new appliances, car, or the amount of trash we create).

We have become a throwaway society, and we dispose of anything and even anyone who seems to have lost value to us. The call to become Salt of the Earth is then a wake-up call to rethink how we deal with resources and people. If we don’t, we are just like salt that has lost its saltiness, like something useless, and thus the very thing we are used to toss out.

Creation care is much more than what community groups like Keep Bermuda Beautiful can achieve alone, while they are doing fantastic work. We all are entrusted with this Earth and its people, because Christ trusts us.

Overcoming the darkness

Then Christ continues (Mt 5:14-16): “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.”

We do need light. Not only can we see with light, but it is energy, it enables plants to grow and produce thus food for animals and man. Light is life.

Light was also metaphorically understood as “understanding” in contrast to darkness. There is a reason we call medieval times the “Dark Ages”.

In John 8:12 (NRSV) Jesus said about himself: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” In the Sermon in the Mount, he passes this light on. Not only will we “never walk in darkness” and “have” the light of life, but now we “are” the Light of the World when we follow Christ and his command.

We can pass on energy, life and understanding to the world. Christ believes in us when we believe in Him. He gives us a charge and wants us to be proud bearers of His light.

There is no hiding under a bowl, but a full display of our faith. We shine His light on what is in the dark. Christianity is a very public faith. We might have a personal relationship with our Lord, but it is not private, but public. We are called to pass it on.

When we, as Christians, let our light shine in this world, it is not about us, but about God among us. In our light and by our kindness, love and deeds the world will see God’s love and glorify Him.

The Apostle John connects Light and Love in his first letter. In 1 John 2:9-10 (NIV) we read: “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.”

Being the Light of the World means to take God’s greatest commandment seriously. We are called to love God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) with our whole being (body, mind and soul) and love our neighbour (family, friends and strangers) as ourselves. In this light there is no difference or shades. Nobody is excluded.

The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 3:28 (NIV): “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” It is an invitation to overcome what separates us, both, from God and from each other.

We are not alone

Yes, Christ has confidence in us that we can be his Salt of the Earth and Light of the World. We can carry the torch to all peoples of all nations. We are not alone in this endeavour.

Christ is right there with us as he promised in the Great Commission (Mt 28:18-20, NIV): “All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

• Karsten Decker was the pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Bermuda from 2010 to 2017, and after returning from Germany is now the temporary pulpit supply at Centenary United Methodist Church in Smith’s