I recently did some ghostwriting for a blog on the subject of “Salt of the Earth.”
I consider myself a curator and a reporter, but I do have thoughts and perspectives of my own, which I am not bashful to share, (as I hope you have noticed) but I listen to preachers on TV and other devotional video and audio resources to get ideas and to help me determine my subject matter. Once I get started with a project, I will also access the Internet for additional quotes or ideas that can complement what I am about to address. My research might also include books written on the subject. It was no different when I wrote the “Salt of the Earth” script.
As a matter of fact, the TV preacher I heard on a Sunday morning taught on the same subject matter of Salt of the Earth and I thought that would be a good subject for one of my blogs. I drew on his sermon and took some notes. I then added some research about salt and some related items of interest I found on the Internet. I threw in my own perspectives and insights.
My emphasis was to review for my blog as a ghostwriter the power and benefits of salt and the fact that we are the Salt of the Earth like Jesus said. Because of this vital point, we then are to see ourselves as influencers for the kingdom of God, penetrating the culture like salt penetrates to preserve and heal.
To quote from that blog I wrote, “We are to create a divine flavor wherever we go allowing others to taste and see that the Lord is good. Or, like salt, we are to live and behave in such a way as to create a thirst for God and for those ways that originate with the Bible that serve as healing and cleansing agents.”
The initial ideas came from this particular TV preacher, and I was grateful to have a great resource in him. But in the middle of my gleaning from the sermon and taking notes he said something that disturbed me. It seemed all too familiar with the way many Christians excuse themselves from addressing the culture and speaking on behalf of the righteousness of Christ. You know, actually acting like they are the salt of the earth.
Several excellent points were made. And as I said, he was a great resource.
But then without qualification, he said this, “(Just) don’t get sidetracked by issues.”
My head cocked slightly, swiveling on my neck like a pet dog might express herself to signify an attempt to make sense of what she hears. My eyes widened somewhat, and I blinked two or three times. Of course, all of this is the international sign for, “What did he just say?” I was immediately confused and as a result, I typed out twenty-four question marks after that statement in my notes. ????????????????????/ Twenty-four question marks and a forward slash because I failed to hold the shift key down on the last one.
As is indicated by my notes—and, frankly, indicated clearly by the entirety of this sermon—he seemed to be going to bat FOR the idea that Christians should most definitely make an impact, create influence, penetrate culture, and generate godly thirst. You know—like salt. I was certainly on board. Those who know me best know that I am about that kind of thing.
This is where he then delivered the precautionary statement, announcing, “Don’t get sidetracked by the issues.” Because he did not qualify it, provided no further clarification, and made no other elaboration on that statement I was left to my imagination.
This is what it sounded like to me.
“You are the salt of the earth, but in some cases not really. There are just some issues that your saltiness should never address.”
But, then, my inquiring mind went to work. But how should we expect our salt to be applied to the culture?
By magic? In silence and stupor? By passive osmosis? Or perhaps by accident?
Do you know how many “issues” there must be in this modern world that need the attention of those who claim to be the salt of the earth? Aren’t God’s boundaries and morals already trespassed everywhere, every day? Is God okay with that? Consequently, is the salt of the earth okay with that?
I know. You want me to give him the benefit of the doubt and I do. Admittedly, I never want to be without generosity, but I also feel that we are too late in the game and impacted too easily by the compromised secular culture in our world today to afford that particular brand of generosity. Especially if it’s the kind of generosity that looks the other way; or that fails to speak up.
If I was just thinking about this sermon’s mixed message, that would be one thing. However, I still pay attention to the bigger picture, you know. I am not at all far removed from attitudes and mentalities that permeate the Christian culture that also says we should not get involved in the issues. I know how irresponsible we can be. I’ve seen how we spend our energies, not taking righteous stands, but sidestepping the fray and wiggling free of conflict. When Jesus announced, “Blessed are the peacemakers”, we act like what He meant to say was, “Blessed are the peacekeepers.” There is a big difference between making peace and just keeping the peace.
Okay, I then came to my senses. I then thought, “You know, to be fair, I should write a letter. Tell of my concern and ask for a response.” So, I did. Here is my letter submitted through their website.
Hello
I viewed your presentation on April 30, 2022, I took notes on the sermon and was reminded of the power, value, and benefits of salt. Your emphasis on our mission as the salt of the earth to preserve, penetrate, cleanse, and make thirsty our culture I took to heart and was saying a hearty amen. Being salt in this world has these high and godly purposes, as you pointed out, in the life of a Christian, otherwise, we may find ourselves losing our saltiness. This would result in a good-for-nothing reality except to be trampled underfoot. So states the scripture and which was a defining part of your sermon.
I was fully engaged in the message, and I wrote these notes (from what I heard you say):
“We are a preservative that keeps the world from rotting and coming completely under the evil one. Until such a time that we are taken out (of this world), we serve as salt to prevent rotting culture. Jesus alone saves and you and I may be the only salt that another experiences.”
You then you said, “Beloved, don’t get sidetracked by issues.” Such a statement came without qualification, no further clarification, and no other elaboration. I was confused and left to my imagination. As a result, I seemed to hear “You are the salt of the earth, but in some cases not really. There are just some issues that your saltiness should never address.”
Other than the trite and the corny it seems that there are very few “issues” that should NOT be addressed by truly salty Christians in this modern evil world, which seemed to be one of the main subjects of your sermon, but which got interrupted in my mind when you said, “Don’t get sidetracked by the issues.”
What issues?
I went back to your video online for clarification, and this is the quote,
“Beloved, don’t get sidetracked by issues. May I plead with you? Don’t get sidetracked by the issues. Don’t fall for that, why? Because all of these issues can only be solved when people come to Jesus when they turn to Christ.”
Turn to Christ. A thousand times yes. But there was still no elaboration on what exactly was meant by issues. Was it personal, political, social, civil, religious, familial, or medical issues? What exactly is the salt of the earth not to be sidetracked by? What issues exactly is the salt of the earth to ignore or give no attention to? What qualifies an issue as not worthy of the attention the salt of the earth should give it?
I hope you see my quandary. It seems to me that anywhere that rotting is taking place, salt must rise to the occasion. I know many Christian leaders of our day have embraced a different kind of model than our country’s forefathers exemplified, a sort of official etiquette to avoid anything of a political nature; and in recent days anything of a medical nature. And not just avoidance, but even proud of the fact. Whatever the nature of the “issues” it seems that not even the loss of life (the issue of abortion on demand, for instance) or the loss of “a quiet and peaceable life” (the issue of increasing government tyranny, for another instance) are enough motivation to get the salt out of the saltshaker and into the world.
But if rotting is already in motion at a pretty intense level that is an indication that the application of salt is already very late in the game. Or perhaps lateness is not the concern at all, perhaps the real concern is that the salt in use is no longer salty, and we are not far from experiencing the trampling of which the Bible warns us as a consequence of our loss of saltiness.
The next steps include being trampled by cultural resistance by those who no longer dignify our place in society, who disdain godliness, mostly because the advocates of godliness (those who should be the saltiest among us) are no longer effective at representing it well, if at all. What is left is trampling by military or heavy-handed political infiltration and occupation, all because we did not dignify our place in society, by abdicating our salty calling.
My inquiry is certainly verbose, but I only really want clarification on what issues are you talking about that I should not be sidetracked by? Thank you for your patience.
I sent this message on Memorial Day 2022. I received a response the very next day from an associate of their ministry. Here it is
Thank you for contacting us
if(in) referencing the particular message, the issues that were being addressed are those such as political issues such as the entire “social justice” issue which takes various forms as well as political issues of various types.
We have been commissioned by God to do our part in fulfilling the Great Commission as seen in Matthew 28. If and when the salt loses its value, the Gospel’s impact on society is diluted and the surrounding culture begins to shape the believer’s convictions rather than the way it should be the believer’s convictions influencing the surrounding culture. Salt purifies, preserves, and prevents decay. That is why it was so valuable in the past and why it is so needed for believers to live a life in that manner in our day- to purify the lives of others, to preserve righteousness, and to prevent the further decaying of our society.
I am grateful for this response, but it is really more of the same. They provided an answer that is really a virtual non-answer with a small dose of clarity. The longer paragraph was a rehearsal of the sermon points I viewed online. Well said; and well reviewed.
But the theme of their answer to my question of “What issues?” was “issues in various forms (and) types” and yet he made it clear the issues that are “social justice” and political in nature would best fit the sidetracking category. But certainly, no specifics.
Honestly, this whole ordeal reminded me of the age-old joke about the Sunday School teacher who asked a question of the young first graders’ class. The teacher asked, “What has four legs, is furry, climbs trees, and eats nuts?” An excited young first grader raised his hand and said, “It sounds like a squirrel, but I’ll say Jesus.”
After all, isn’t “Jesus” supposed to be the answer to every question posed by Sunday School teachers? Isn’t Jesus the expected answer for everything in a church or Sunday School setting with no further thinking required?
Don’t get me wrong I think we should invite Jesus into all things since He is the creator of all things and by Him all things consist (Colossians 1). But if we’re not careful we are the adult version of this Sunday School first grader, where we are certainly intelligent enough to answer correctly but we choose instead to abide by unwritten religious expectations. We are remarkably comfortable with staying inside the confines of a small pious box, limiting ourselves to its boundaries, boundaries not defined by Biblical directives, but by appeasement and oversimplification. This pious box also has a sign attached, which reads, “No-further-thinking-or-action-required.”
We should instead possess the capacity and maturity gleaned from Biblical wisdom to answer clearly and assertively the questions posed to us in this world.
However, glib answers; short on forethought, research, and elaboration; and without drawing on Biblical standard end up delivering a trite saccharine aftertaste, providing less and less reason for the world around us to dignify our stance or maybe even our existence. Our “Jesus is the answer” response is timeworn and stale. It is interpreted as a less than honest response to life’s issues especially when we are rarely found available for discussion in the thick of society or engaged in thoughtful dialog. We volunteer to stay mute; as if to smugly say, “I know the answer, I’m connected to the answer, I go to church with people who have the answer, I have a Bible with the answer, but my own people tell me I’m easily sidetracked by various issues, therefore you’ll have to find the answer for yourself.”
The genuine salt of the earth are not like this. They do not take their place on the periphery of any culture as spectators. They do not remain in the bleachers while the issues of that culture are worked out on the playing field below. “Aloof” and “absent” are not words that describe them. The true salt of the earth are more likely to be “sidetracked”—not by the issues–but by those trying to talk them out of their mission, their calling, and their passion to penetrate and influence the world.
In the case of the Sunday School first grader, what exactly sidetracked him? Issues?
In an attempt to answer the question at hand, he was on the right track, but he was instead sadly sidetracked by the expectation of the religious culture, which was already ingrained in his young mind, to appease the teacher, to “keep” the peace. Therefore, the greatest danger the salt of the earth faces is the one provided to them often by their very own. Instead of encouragements to stay focused, stay Biblical, and stay salty they are often forced to navigate mixed messages that cast shadows on their very identity and calling.
Non-involvement can be changed however when we are convicted to the core that we should instead be leading the way.
All questions posed by this culture have answers that find their legitimacy in Biblical truth. No compromise is needed. And it’s also perfectly okay–and intellectually honest– that the legitimate answer, even in a Sunday School class, to the teacher’s question about furry, nut-eating, tree-climbers is . . . a squirrel.
And if the teacher asks, “Who created squirrels, and the trees they climb in, and the nuts they eat?”
This is where it is certainly apropos to say that Jesus is the answer.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
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