I am the son of a preacher. Grew up being 'at church' most every time the doors were open, and lots of times when they weren't. As such, I was saturated in the Bible. Lots of bits of it were poured into my head like water into the ocean. Over and over and over. From rivers, rain, fog. Any conceivable source. Simply became part of who I am and how I think.
Matthew 5.13 is one of those verses. For those unfamiliar, Jesus is talking. It's part of what's generally called the 'Sermon on the Mount.' It says, 'You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by people.'
I'm sure this passage has meant a lot of things to a lot of people over the years.
Sunday, it took on a new meaning for me.
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, late in the Flying Pig Marathon I experienced severe cramps in both legs. I had to sit down for a bit and finished the race in a lot of pain and at a much slower pace than I'd hoped for or am capable of. I thought I'd prepared for everything, but apparently that wasn't quite true.
Turns out that because I sweat like God opening the springs of the great deep I am even more prone to dehydration and cramping. This is because we expel so much salt through sweat. The more we sweat, the more salt we expel. This is why all most of my hats are covered with lovely white stains. The concentration of salt lost through sweat is higher than the concentration of salt in energy drinks. The average marathoner sweats about 4X the amount of salt than the average sports drink replaces. It's even more true for someone who sweats more than 'average.'
Forgive me if you know all this. It never occurred to me. While I thought that since I was sweating I was clearly not dehydrated, I was not getting a full picture. In order for to perform at my best in a marathon, I need to be sure to replace the salt that I sweat away.
When 2 fellow runners saw me laying on the sidewalk, stopped and immediately offered me a sodium supplement, they taught me something new about Matthew 5.13. They acted as the 'salt' of the earth to me. Without them, I'd most likely not have finished and may have been headed for far worse problems than I had.
It's cool to me when Jesus shows up in places and through people that we don't expect and often fail to recognize.
How can I be the 'salt' of the earth to people I encounter? People who have 'sweat' out the nutrients they need in order to simply carry on? People who've been exhausted by life? Wrung out like a sweaty shirt? How do I generally approach such people? Do I focus on my own issues and keep on running, giving them not even a 2nd thought (or 1st for that matter)? Do I insist verbally, through my actions or otherwise that before I give them any 'salt' they acknowledge their need? Do I wait for them to ask? Do I need them to concede that I am 'right?'
Or, do I carry 'extra' salt with me just for such occasions? Do I pay attention to the people around me? Do I give them 'salt' or something else I think they need or would prefer? I know that when my new friend offered me salt I took it, but I thought he was nuts. Seemed to me that salt was the exact opposite of what I needed. I'd have much preferred a cold beer. Wouldn't have helped. At all. Do I reserve my 'salt' for people who are like me? Who deserve it? My friends could have told me what I needed. Then told me I should have prepared better and been on their way. Do I treat people that way?
Or - do I simply notice, hand them the salt, and encourage them to carry on? That it will be worth it if they can hang in there?
I left the First Aid station holding a plastic bag filled with ice on my head and neck. I'd gone about .2 miles when I came across 2 women I'd guess were in their early 50's, walking arm in arm. One of them was clearly struggling. I 'ran' next to them for a minute and asked what was up. She was simply overwhelmed by the late morning heat that had announced itself with the rising sun like a huge nose pimple on school picture day. Sudden. Undeniable. Unwanted. Unpreventable. I offered my ice. She took it. I ran on.
I hope I'm learning.
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