Salt

I am self-admitedly a fast-food burger guy. I particularly like In-n-Out. However, it's more that the burgers that I like. I'm here for the combo meals - the burger, fries, and strawberry milkshake. Few things are better.

Sometimes I may go through the drive-thru because I'm on my way somewhere, and when I'm eating those hot french fries blindly because my eyes are on the road I have to be careful not to eat the small salt packets they put in there.

Every In-n-Out includes salt packets because salt simply makes it taste better.

This isn't lost on Jesus when he speaking to his disciples (and maybe even the larger crowd gathered around him) in Matthew 5:13, "You are the salt of the earth."

For those gathered around Jesus - the beaten down, treated poorly, longing for righteousness kind of folks - life has become bitter. Their health and their hurts have caused them to journey away from their homes.

It's when Jesus is surrounded by those who have a bad taste in their mouth about life that he commands his disciples that they are tasked with making life salty again.

What a commission, we have the task and opportunity to bring the taste, color, and zest back to life for people that are experiencing the world as tasteless, dim, and bland.