Jesus tells his followers, and us today, to be the salt of the earth. This means we should bring goodness and strong values into our communities, just like salt adds flavour to food. He wants us to help keep his message alive and true, and to make our world a better place by standing against what is wrong and helping to keep it pure.
Salt is not only something we find in our kitchens or on our dining tables; it also appears in the Bible with deep meaning. In the scriptures, salt is used as an important symbol to express different ideas such as keeping things fresh, not just food, making things clean and right, a solemn promise, and even wisdom. Most importantly, Jesus uses the image of salt to help us understand our purpose in life. Just as salt gives flavour and keeps things from going bad, we are called to bring goodness, truth, and lasting value to the world around us.
If salt is like a promise between a chef and her special dish—bringing out the best flavours—then salt in the Bible symbolises the lasting promise between God and people. In the olden days, salt was always added to offerings as a reminder of the strong and unbreakable covenant with God. It showed that just like salt preserves food, God’s promise to His people would last and never fade.
times a day. When the water has evaporated the top layer of sand, containing much salt, is gathered and thrown into a little pit nearby. Sea-water is poured over it. The Highly concentrated brine is drained off and poured into split bamboos exposed to the sun. When the water has evaporated the salt can be scraped from the bamboos. In this way a man can gain one dollar a day for the salt he gathers.
During his visit to South Sudan, Pope Francis shared a powerful message in his homily, reminding everyone that we are the salt of the earth. He explained that salt, though often unseen, gives flavour to food—just like wisdom gives meaning to life. From ancient times, salt has stood for wisdom, something you can’t always see but definitely notice when it’s missing. Right after teaching the Beatitudes, Jesus spoke about salt, showing that the Beatitudes are like the seasoning of Christian life. They bring the wisdom of heaven to our everyday world and turn upside down the usual way people think. Pope Francis said that if we live out the Beatitudes, we won’t just improve our own lives—we’ll also bring flavour, joy, and hope to the whole of society.
In one of his homilies, St. John Paul II spoke about the deep meaning behind Jesus’ calling his disciples “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world”. He explained that being like salt means having a special presence—a way of living that helps others stay strong in their faith, resist temptation, and stay close to God through prayer and loving service. Salt, he said, not only preserves but also brings flavour. Just as food without salt is dull and lifeless, a world without Christ’s followers would lack joy and hope. Disciples of Jesus are called to bring enthusiasm, encouragement, and the Spirit of Christ into every part of life.
One thing I didn’t expect was that salt is also a sign of hospitality. This comes as a timely reminder for all of us, especially we missionaries, living in an age where personal space and setting borders often come before openness. It’s a gentle call to re-examine how truly welcoming we are—particularly towards those simply looking for someone to listen, care, and be present. As SALTS, let us bring warmth and kindness back into our everyday encounters.
Photos: Joseph Klotzner MHM
