Christingle Sermon

 

Theme

You Are the Salt of the Earth

Texts

Isaiah 58:1-9a

1 Corinthians 2:1-12

Matthew 5 : 13-20

My Personal Story 

This is the story of my journey from Harare to Abuja, Nigeria, with Ethiopian Airlines. My flight departed Harare at 2:00 p.m. and arrived in Addis Ababa at 8:30 p.m. Since my connecting flight to Abuja was scheduled for the following morning at 10:00 a.m., the airline kindly accommodated me overnight at a hotel in Addis Ababa. That evening, dinner was served at the hotel. The dining room was filled with travelers in transit, people from many different countries, cultures, and backgrounds, all gathered around the same tables. As I sat down to eat, I noticed something unusual: there was no salt on the table.I called the waiter and politely asked for salt. To my surprise, her first response was a question: “Are you from Zimbabwe?” Taken aback, I asked her why she would think so. She smiled and said, “We know Zimbabweans. They ask for salt even before tasting the food.” At that moment, I paused and reflected. Something as small and ordinary as salt had become an identity marker, something by which a people could be recognized.

Salt and the Life of an Island

In August last year, while on leave, Caroline and I took our boys for a simple educational trip in Es Trenc and Ses Salines. We wanted to know more about salt production and these are some of the lessons we learnt from the trip; Living on an island, we understand salt in a way that inland places perhaps do not. Salt is not an abstract idea here in Mallorca; it is part of our landscape, our history, and our daily life. The salt pans of Es Trenc and Ses Salines remind us that for centuries salt was known as white gold. It preserved fish and meat long before refrigeration, sustained sailors crossing the Mediterranean, and shaped the economy and identity of this island. Salt does two simple but vital things. It preserves what would otherwise decay, and it brings out flavour that would otherwise remain hidden. Food without salt is bland; food with too much salt is inedible. Salt works quietly, invisibly, but powerfully. When it does its job well, you hardly notice it, yet without it, something essential is missing. So when Jesus looks at his disciples and says, “You are the salt of the earth,” he is not offering a compliment. He is giving them a responsibility.

Exegesis: Jesus’ Words in Their Original Context

In Jesus’ time, salt was not cheap or decorative. It was essential for survival. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt; hence the word salary, which is from the Latin salarium, meaning a payment or allowance. That term is linked to sal, the Latin word for salt. Salt preserved food in a hot climate and prevented illness. To lose saltiness, something that could happen with impure salt from the Dead Sea made it useless. Jesus is speaking during the Sermon on the Mount, just after the Beatitudes. He has described a way of life marked by humility, mercy, peacemaking, and righteousness. Now he tells his listeners that this way of life is not meant to be private or hidden. If salt loses its saltiness, it no longer fulfils its purpose. Likewise, if God’s people fail to live out the values of the Kingdom, they cease to be what they are called to be.

Jesus immediately follows the image of salt with the image of light. Light is not meant to be hidden under a basket. Good works are not about self-promotion but about pointing beyond ourselves, “so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Then Jesus addresses a potential misunderstanding: that this new Kingdom way of life somehow abandons the Law. On the contrary, he says, he has come not to abolish the Law but to fulfil it. True righteousness is not about outward rule-keeping alone, but about hearts and lives transformed by God.

Connecting the Gospel to Christingle Sunday

On Christingle Sunday, we hold symbols in our hands that echo today’s Gospel. The orange represents the world God loves. The red ribbon reminds us of Christ’s self-giving love. The sweets or dried fruit speak of God’s generosity. And the candle- the light proclaims Christ as the Light of the world. But a Christingle is not just something to admire. Like salt, it exists for a purpose. The candle is meant to shine. Christ is the light, but Jesus also tells us, “You are the light of the world.” We are called to carry that light into places of darkness, pain, and need. Christingle also reminds us of our calling to serve the vulnerable, especially children. Salt preserves; light guides. The Christian life is not passive.  It is active, visible, and costly.

The Gospel and the Other Readings

Isaiah 58 makes this connection unmistakably clear. God rejects empty religious gestures and calls for a faith that loosens the bonds of injustice, feeds the hungry, and shelters the homeless. And then comes a promise that echoes Jesus’ words: “Then your light shall break forth like the dawn.” Salt and light are not abstract spiritual qualities. They are expressed through justice, compassion, and generosity. In 1 Corinthians, Paul reminds the church that God’s power does not rest in eloquence or human wisdom, but in the Spirit. This keeps us humble. We are salt and light not because we are impressive, but because God is at work within us. Our calling is faithfulness, not flashiness. Together, these readings tell one story: authentic faith transforms the world quietly, persistently, and lovingly.

What This Means for Us in Mallorca Today

So what does it mean to be salt and light here, on this island? It means living our faith not only within church walls, but in our neighbourhoods, workplaces, schools, and communities. It means being attentive to the needs around us: those struggling with poverty, loneliness, migration, housing insecurity, or isolation; realities that exist even in places of beauty and abundance. It means recognising that Mallorca is home not only to long-established families but to people from many nations, languages, and backgrounds. Salt does not dominate; it blends. Light does not blind; it guides. On Christingle Sunday especially, we are reminded that even small flames matter.  A single candle can push back darkness. A small pinch of salt can transform a meal. Ordinary acts of kindness, justice, and faithfulness,done in Christ’s name have lasting impact. Jesus does not say, “Try to become salt.” He says, “You are the salt of the earth.” The question is not whether we are salt and light, but whether we are living out that calling. May we, as Christians in Mallorca, be a community that preserves what is good, brings out what is life-giving, and reflects the light of Christ quietly, faithfully, and for the glory of God. Amen.