This is about as low as you can get. Now I’m not talking about poor behaviour but about location. I’m standing on the shore of the Dead Sea which is the lowest place on the face of planet Earth. In fact, its 423m below sea level. The Dead Sea is a unique and amazing place. It’s surrounded by desert which makes water here extremely valuable. But you can’t drink this water. It’s the saltiest water on earth, ten times more salty than the oceans and far too bitter to drink. But the Dead Sea does have one gift, and it’s on nearly every dining table in every country around the world. It’s salt! History tells us that in ancient times, salt was a very valuable commodity. In fact, it was known as white gold. The famous camel caravans that travelled through the Sahara Desert carried blocks of salt weighing up to 90kgs. The demand for salt was so high that it was traded for gold. The canal city of Venice had a monopoly on the salt trade to Europe and became a very wealthy city. Salt was also used to trade slaves in ancient Greece, and it was used to pay the Roman soldiers which is how we get the word salary today. Salt has been used in many religious ceremonies. It was a sign of purity in the Jewish, Buddhist and Shinto religions. But for Christians, it’s the words of Jesus that have an important meaning. ‘You are the salt of the earth.” Jesus is talking here about the value and influence of a good, reliable and honest person. One who has a positive influence for good in their society. Jesus wants us to preserve an atmosphere of love, unity and healthy personal relationships. He wants us to enrich the lives of the people we come in contact with. So be encouraged today. Remember, like salt, you are precious, valuable, and you are the preservative that God is using in society today. So, let’s go and be the salt of the earth.