Mid-winter is a difficult time of year. The days are short, the nights are long, and we dream of more daylight. A quick scan of today’s news can be equally as bleak. It is time for a little more light in an otherwise dark and dreary time. Enter Epiphany. This season shines like a beacon of light and hope in the dead of winter. Jesus calls his followers to let the light of their good works shine before others. Through baptism we are sent into the world to shine with the light of Christ. This theme of light is familiar to us, but today’s gospel also declares us “salt of the earth.” What does Jesus mean when he says this? Does the nature of salt itself give us a clue? Salt is a compound element, essential to our bodies & the earth. It flavors, enhances, and heals. Colloquially, it means to be zesty or feisty. While Lutherans tend to lean-in on Jesus’ light metaphor, might we “Frozen Chosen” Lutherans need to also hear Jesus’ call for us to be… salty?
title image: Marinela-Adobe.Stock.com