In a “Peanuts” cartoon, by Charles M. Schulz, Peppermint Patty tells Charlie Brown that the teacher sent her to the principal’s office on the first day of school.
“It was your fault, Chuck,” she said.
“My fault? How could it be my fault?” he asked.
“You’re my friend, aren’t you, Chuck? You should have been a better influence on me.”
Are you a good influence on your friends and family? Or have you lost your saltiness?
In Matthew 5:13, Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled underfoot.”
Jesus calls those who follow him to be a godly influence in the community and world in which they live. Peppermint Patty passed the buck but made a good point. What you say and do influences the people that God puts into your life. Is your salt sitting in the shaker or are you bringing flavor to those whom God has sent you?
This message is excerpted from “Restore your saltiness” by Lisa Plorin from the March 23, 2017, blog of the Women of the ELCA. Today is the fifth Sunday after Epiphany. Today we commemorate the Martyrs of Japan, 1597.
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