Be the Sun, Not the Salt

Good morning,

My sister Barb does Bible study with me every Friday and the last message I did (about us basically being a house plant with complicated emotions) made her think of a book one of her managing co-workers gave her titled, Be the Sun, Not the Salt by Dr. Harry D. Cohen. It is delightful and a really short little book; kind of like the wisdom of Proverbs to find and be our best self.

It translates the heliotropic effect, the tendency of living organisms to turn toward the sun, into human terms. Are you like the sun on the leaves of a plant, providing nourishment, encouraging growth, and drawing people toward you? Or are you like salt on a plant’s roots, causing others to wither, becoming less than they could be? Perhaps a bit of both?

The book encourages us to look at our behavior while providing common sense suggestions to improve our everyday relationships and encounters.

Jesus taught in parables many times using plants. The Bible commonly tells us how to behave and to stop this or do that. Not because He is a task master, but the opposite–so we can love people and show them His light. I know sometimes people look at Christians and think, “I don’t want to be like that! They push me away with all the rules, sour faces, and judgement.” As Christians, we have to make sure we are in a relationship with Christ, not a legalistic religion.

God gave us a gardener in the Holy Spirit to help us put others first, forgive quickly, love the unlovable, encourage people, ask God for anything, give mercy, give grace, and be humble and kind. It not only helps the other person, but you become better inside and flourish!

Jesus is the Son!  He is what changes people, so they can imitate Him and do for others what the sun does for plants.

Love you, Teri