Feb 6, 2011 - 5th Sun of OT - "We're all part of the salt"

Readings - http://www.usccb.org/nab/020611.shtml

We began last Sunday (and will continue for a number of Sundays) to follow Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. This Sunday, we hear Jesus telling us that we are called to be “Salt for the Earth” and “Light to the World.”

This is a passage that most of us know and in our generation has come to be very important. It’s become important because in generations past, most Catholics/Christians did not feel themselves to be worthy of consideration. In the last couple of generations, there has been an attempt by preachers and theologians to remind us of the GOOD NEWS that in God’s eyes we are his beloved children and hence important.

And to those who still feel themselves to be small, insignificant, unimportant, I’d like underline this again – We are ALL loved by God. That is, in fact, fundamentally the Good News (!!) of Jesus Christ.

Very good. But since so many of us know this passage so well, I’d like to take a somewhat different tack on this passage, EXTEND IT, if you will:

I’d like to underline that God doesn’t _merely_ “love us.” Instead, I’d like to underline that GOD LOVES EVERYBODY. That ALL OF US are part of that “salt” for the earth, ALL OF US are part of that “light to the world.”

I say this because it seems to me that _a lot of us_ have gotten to understand that God loves _us_ (ourselves). And that has been an _enormous step_ in the development of our self-esteem and in giving us courage to “take our place” in the world, etc.

But it seems to me that _in this country_, _in our time_, we don’t necessarily understand that GOD ALSO LOVES “THE OTHER GUY,” THE OTHER PERSON “DOWN THE STREET” across the border, across the ocean, as well. We’re ALL loved by the same God, and ALL OF US both have something to offer and _are called to offer_ what we have for the “benefit of the Kingdom,” for the benefit of the whole.

Yes, it’s great that we “lift up our voice”, “take our place” in society, in the world. That’s wonderful. But if we do this to shout down the person next to us, what good is that? Or if we become so concerned about making _our mark_ in the world, what good is it, if we forget about the people around us?

Now we have the Scouts with us here today. And that is great. First, it’s great because the Scouts encourage the development of all kinds of talents among its members from canoeing, to tracking, to organizing/helping out in the community, etc, etc. But second, kids sometimes understand the need for teamwork than the adults...

Let’s remember the Chicago Bears this year. It doesn’t matter how good the quarterback is -- and Cutler, by all accounts is a decent quarterback – if members of the offensive line aren’t able to keep the defenders from getting to him before he can throw the football to a receiver who’s open, his abilities are lost. Similarly, it doesn’t matter if the team has a great defense or offense if one or the other is unable to do its job.

The point is, that it doesn’t matter how good one is individually, if we neglect the people around us, the whole team fails.

God intends EVERYBODY to be “salt.” EVERYBODY will “taste” different. EVERYBODY is supposed to have something to offer. It makes no sense to make fun of, or to put anybody else down, because when we do that, we deny the “saltiness” of the person to rise. And that person could have something important to offer that we would never imagine and without him/her it gets lost and the WHOLE WORLD SUFFERS because of it.

So EACH OF US is “part of the team.” Each of us has things to contribute. So let’s seek to build each other up so that EACH OF US is able to offer his/her “saltiness” to “the stew.”

Let’s make sure that NOBODY’S “SALT” gets “trampled underfoot.” God bless you all ;-)