“In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation – an aroma redolent with life. But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse.” – 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 (The Message)
When I was a child we had a Saturday night tradition that involved three things: eating homemade pizza, enjoying Mom’s famous fruit salad, and watching TV with the family. Now more than 30 years later, my family often visits my parents on Saturday evenings. We still have homemade pizza, though the TV shows have changed. And Mom has replaced her famous fruit salad with a low-calorie and healthier plate of fresh fruit.
On a recent family pizza night, we watched one of the old, 70s-vintage TV shows on DVD. As we ate pizza and watched TV together, I was surprised to pick up the scent of the fruit salad my mom used to make. The scent was so real that I asked my mom if she had made it, but she had not. It seems that the presence of two of those three memories triggered the third in my mind. Thirty years had passed since the days when we regularly at that fruit salad – and my mind recalled the scent as if it were actually present.
In Second Corinthians the Apostle Paul said that we are “the aroma of Christ.” It has always seemed to me a curious image, but this recent experience on pizza night helped me to understand it in a new way. When we go about our business proclaiming the truth of the Gospel, the message itself is like an aroma that is indelibly printed in the minds of those who hear. Whether it is received poorly or joyfully it is there – and may be recalled again at the most unexpected or opportune of times. It becomes an aroma that is unforgettable.
It is a great pleasure to partner with you in this ministry. As we pray and work together we are given the opportunity to share the truth of Christ among people who have never before breathed this “aroma redolent with life.”