So what exactly is a salty Christian? A salty Christian is a follower of God who strives to flavor the world that they live in just as salt flavors food. Jesus, in fact, told us that we are to be the salt of the earth. It's not an option.

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16 )

Christians are called to be in the world but not a part of the world. Our job is to provide taste to the world just as salt provides taste to food. Salt mixes in with meat but, chemically, it will always remain salt. This blogsite is for Christians who want to flavor the world but, like me, have to be vigilant not to lose our saltiness and become a part of the world.

People have asked me why I chose the name Stingray for my blog site. One commenter even chided me that it was ungodly for me to use a ferocious beast to represent a Christian website.

First of all, stingrays are not ferocious at all — they're actually very shy and gentle. I'm fairly shy and gentle myself. The only time you're likely to be stung by a stingray is if you step in the center of its back and pin it to the ocean floor. If you pin me to the ground or attack a loved one or innocent person, I'm going to fight back, too. Shy and gentle do not mean wimpy. There's the famous Stingray City in the Cayman islands where swimmers and snorkelers have the chance to play with and feed the stingrays. Second, my middle name is Ray and my wife thought that was funny and occasionally calls me Stingray. Hence, the name Stingray for my blogsite. There's really nothing sinister about the name at all.

Relax, read, and enjoy (and let me hear from you).

Update:  Yes, it bothers me that Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray that he or the cameras and lights somehow managed to startle. According to the Washington Post, there are have been only 17 stingray-caused deaths in the past decade. Still, losing Steve Irwin to a freak accident shook me up as it did most people.