It is easier to understand how we are "the light of the world" than how we are "the salt of the earth". But if we understand "world" as "human society", then it may be easier to follow Jesus' saying, regarding the "salt of the earth" in a more enlightening and perhaps more challenging way.

Salt is used in food as a preservative and for flavour-ing. It is quite an important part of our food, although too much can give rise to health problems, too little can also be dangerous. As salt is to food, so Christianity or reli-gion, in general, is a necessary part of society.

Too much religion in society can, cause society to become some theocracy, which, as we have seen in recent history can give rise to many evils, among them intoler-ance of the most vicious kind.

But if religion or at least the more noble religious values are missing entirely from society, we are faced with the debilitating and ultimately dehumanizing conse-quences of secularism and relativism.

As salt in food has a healthy preservative function, so religion in the right measure in society, through the culti-vation of high religious and human values such as respect and reverence, tolerance and charity, preserve and enhances our humanity.

By striving to be the salt of the earth in this way we become channels of God's truth and grace, light and joy and love, peace and justice