‘You are the salt of the earth,’ said Jesus; ‘but if salt is adulterated, how can its saltiness be restored? It no longer has any use, being fit only to be thrown out and trampled underfoot’ (Matthew 5:13). A reminder – taken up in the following short prayer from my book The Little Book of Lent Prayers – that faith isn’t meant to be simply a nicety, but should have an impact on us, on others and on the world. It should shape the way we think, act and live. It should change us as people, and in so doing help us to influence for good the lives of others in turn. We can’t achieve that alone, of course, but with God’s help we can, in small but significant ways, help make a difference in the world around us. Do we do that? If not, it’s time to reappraise our commitment, for, as those words of Jesus make plain, a faith that cannot be seen is no faith at all.
The Salt
The salt of the earth, you call them –
genuine, caring people who serve others,
making a difference to their lives.
Forgive me, Lord,
for that so rarely can be said of me.
Amen.
