Trusting What Cannot Save

The tragedy in Japan is continuing and my prayer is that God may come through and show His power in the midst of this crisis. One of the things that has really been echoing in my thoughts and prayers is that we, humans are not in control. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Jesus made this point when he told the parable of the rich man who hoarded all his crop and wealth and thought he was set for life, only for God to tell him that his life would be demanded of him that night.


The desire of humans to seek a savior, and to so easily put their trust in something that cannot save, is very clearly evident by the news that in China, people are panic-buying salt because they believe it will prevent radiation sickness.



Customers line up outside a store in Hong Kong March 17, 2011, as shoppers in the Chinese territory rush to buy salt, which they believe could help to protect them from radiation.




If can't remember where you heard that common table salt, NaCl, can prevent radiation sickness, stop trying: it can't. What can help to protect against radiation is a common, but not obligatory, additive to salt, iodide. That's why people in SoCal are going to store to buy sodium iodide tablets, because if you have enough of the non-radioactive iodide in your body, it will dilute any radioactive iodide your body takes in and cause it to be expelled from your body rather than incorporated into hormones which will stay in your body. Sodium chloride has absolutely no power against radiation sickness, and people downing salt in an effort to prevent it are more likely to end up getting high blood pressure and a heart attack.


This is truly an example of people putting their faith in something that cannot save. But even if they were to go purchase the correct compound, sodium iodide, would even that save them? No, because when it comes to life and death, it is only Jesus who saves.