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Just Like Salt The United Church Minister, the Rev. Dr. Walter Farquharson, was a colleague while I ministered in Yorkton Saskatchewan. Walter is a wonderful Minister and teacher, and I still think of him as a friend. His little songbook Just Like Salt, which contains his lyrics to music by Ron Klusmeier, captures the innocence of children's songs without losing the deep devotional insights children sometimes have.Today, Sept.27 is Presbyterians Sharing Sunday. The Church bulletin front cover has a beautiful picture of a little boy watering a garden with a watering can almost as big as himself! On the back cover it says: Presbyterians Sharing Sunday "Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." (Mark 9:50b) 'The people of God are called to be like salt -- to preserve, to sustain, to season.' ... I am now a diabetic, along with my family -- I'm to lay off salt and sugar and fats! That doesn't leave much tasty food for me! I used to really enjoy processed meats on a well-buttered piece of bread! -- that's all past tense for me now! I understand salt tablets are still cut and transported by dessert caravans as in the time of Christ, in places that have no electricity and that have a lot of heat! It is still needed to control flies and maggots that would otherwise destroy fresh & cured meats. -- Salt preserves, it adds longevity, it is necessary for life -- sometimes only available from a life taken -- such as an animal killed by a hunter! Salt seasons -- and most of us use too much of it for our own good! This Sunday we heard how we can help others get more out of life -- whether at Tyndal-St. George's in Montreal, as we work with immigrants, immigrant students and others needing support -- or when we help support the ministry of the Saskatoon Native Circle led by the Rev. Stewart Folster, who ministers to Aboriginal peoples of that city: some have addictions, some are street workers ... We are to have saltiness that gives life instead of? -- the opposite is to rub salt into open wounds! When we only look after ourselves and forget others, that's exactly what we are doing. The Pres. Sharing service prepared for us by the Church spoke about the wonderful dance God enables us to participate in as we share our gifts. One of them is to be able to help others live better: to be salt. A little salt goes a long way. God isn't wanting to rob us of our blessings. God wants us -- like a little child -- to share what we have, in love; never asking what we'll get back. Amen
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