Not Really All That Special

aaaegNot Really All That Special

The ancient world had a simpler view of nature than we possess.  The "elements" of air, earth, water, and fire were taken to comprise the physical world, though of course fire--chiefly a manifestation of energy--has never seemed to be quite on a par with the other elements.  Additionally (and unsurprisingly) any physical substance of a spicy, acidic, or salty nature could be said to possess characteristics of "fire."

"For every one shall be salted with fire" (Mark 9:49, KJV).

There is no warrant, however, to assume that the ancients were unaware of the fact that "fire" does not exist of itself, and as such has a closer relationship to the physical elements than would at first seem to be the case.  Volcanism does not exist independently of the trillions of tons of less remarkable earth that press upon it; fire does not spring up on the surface of stony soil, but rather must wait for combustible vegetation to arise.

Similarly, the spiciness of some foods is drawn from processes of concentration, either in growth or through food preparation.  And most significantly, salt can be seen to arise from evaporation.  The "fire" of "salt" is not a merely a qualitative phenomenon--a property of salt itself--but is also a phenomenon of concentration--the gathering of substances uncommon in themselves, but plentiful in times and places when drawn from the wider world.

This is also the only defensible meaning of Jesus' statement, "Ye are the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13).  We are masses of elements drawn from the wider creation, to be responsible to our abilities, not to be celebrated for our specialness that is not really all that special.