Lessons in our culture: Seasoned with salt
My Mum once made porridge for us both using a new recipe I assume was Scottish. I assume this because one of the ingredients was salt. The problem was that there was too much salt for our liking, and we effectively spat it out. It is the one and only time in my life I have seen my Mum throw something out as inedible.
I wonder if this is the reaction that many people in our culture have towards Christians these days. While the message of Jesus and being identified with Jesus are inherently polarising, we have to take ownership of the fact that the posture of Christians has, in some ways, contributed to this reaction.
In Colossians 4, Paul gives us a recipe for correcting our posture in how we engage with people who do not believe.
“Let your conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Col 4:6).
Grace is the means by which God does everything in our lives as a free gift. Grace creates the environment in which we can thrive. Salt is mixed into a dish to enhance flavour. It’s clear that salt is a distinctive ingredient. As Christians, we bring a different perspective — truth from God designed to enhance people’s flavour of life (John 8:31-32). But too much salt — too much truth — will overpower the hearer and be rejected.
In any recipe, the proportion of ingredients is important. This recipe is no different. Our conversations are to be full of grace but only seasoned with salt. Let me give some suggestions of what I think that could look like.
Kindness
Grace means we’re to be warm, welcoming, and kind. No matter what someone believes, they are a person made in God’s image. We should love and care for them more than anyone.
Listening
We’re to listen well to people even when we disagree with them. We’re to listen long enough to make sure we truly understand why they see the world the way they do. Listening is a lost art but one of the greatest ways to love.
Common ground
Our culture is pretty post-Christian. It means people want the values of Christianity even if they have no desire to believe in Jesus. It also means there is plenty of room for common ground. The moves to embrace Māori culture or to welcome people’s gender fluidity arise because we’ve realised it is not okay to abuse and marginalise people of different cultures and worldviews. This is a good thing borne out of a desire to love others. We may not love all of the ways this plays out, but we can affirm the intention as a good one.
All of these things — and I’m sure there are more — are ways to build genuine friendships with people who are different to you. My favourite name for Jesus in the gospels is “friend of sinners.” Could it be that some of us might be called this over time?
And when we’ve built genuine friendships, when we’ve listened long enough to truly understand, maybe then we will have earned the right to sprinkle a little salt. To ask a question or share something small that helps people to see—from a place of friendship and common ground—a way to see the world differently and a way to see how Jesus meets their need.
Much love,
Simon
Questions to ponder:
Who are some people that don’t know God that you would call genuine friends of yours? If you can’t think of many, ask yourself who are some acquaintances or people you cross paths with that you could pursue a deeper friendship with? Pray for these people that God would draw them to Himself, and perhaps use you in that process.
While thinking of the people in your life that don’t know Jesus - do you think your past conversations with them have been seasoned with too much or too little salt?
Maybe you are someone who keeps your faith private outside of church and Christian circles. What are some ways your faith could be a natural part of everyday conversations, no matter the context?
Who is someone in your life you’d like to make more time to listen to?
What are some areas of ‘common ground’ you have with the non-believers around you? How could you use these areas to form deeper friendships?
If God is real, but you didn’t know Him — how would you want Christians to reach out to you?
This post is part of the Senior Pastor’s weekly blog. Go to the the blog feed >>