By Ife J. Ibitayo
For Part 1, “A Gift Worth Waiting For”, click here.
Shortly before he was rediagnosed with cancer, my former housemate gave me a Christmas present I still carry with me today. It was a lightbulb filled with salt. A strip of paper attached to it read: “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” Many gifts remind us of who we were, others who we could be. But a select few affirm who we are.
Salt
When speaking about salt, Jesus said in full, “‘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’” (Matthew 5:13). Salt was essential in the ancient world because it performed two unique functions: 1. It acted as a preservative against decay. 2. It added taste to otherwise insipid food. And God has called us Christians to fulfill both roles today: moral preservers and experience enhancers.
Yet around every corner lurks an opportunity to sacrifice our unique, Christ-bearing nature on the altar of work, pleasure, money, or power. And if we bow before any of these, we may end up losing our selves in the process.
One of the most poignant verses of the famous hymn “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” reads, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.” We drift by nature. That is why Jesus says, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me” (Matthew 11:29). We need to be tapped into God’s word and hooked up with His people if we don’t want to lose our saltiness.
Light
Secondly, Jesus said, “‘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 a 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” (Matthew 5:14-16).
I’ve been struggling with how to manifest my faith out here in Los Angeles. California is known as the godless state by us southerners. And I was terrified that I’d be eaten alive if I expressed my convictions. But I had a meaningful conversation with the Christian founder of a nonprofit. As I asked her how she navigated her faith and her work, she struggled to give an answer. At last, she said, “I just do. That’s just who I am.” No matter where we are or who we’re surrounded by, the world needs the light of Jesus. With earnest sincerity (and a fresh measure of humility and tact), we must let out core convictions shine through everything we do. Just as a lightbulb is useless if covered by a box, we are useless if we live as undercover Christians.
Conclusion
Salt and light don’t seem to associate well as a word picture, like sunshine and rain or oil and water. But I think that’s part of the beauty of the symbolism Jesus used. He was the only true salty lightbulb who walked this earth, able to both shine bright and sink deep, and by so doing He transformed the world He came to save. And now we walk in His footsteps by remembering who are in Him because of His gift to us two thousand years ago.
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”
(Ephesians 5:8)