Can you smell what the church is cooking?

I walked home from the Hub today and took a route that led me by the Steveston wharf. Passing by a restaurant, I caught the whiff of fried bacon. Now I'm not a huge bacon guy, but for some reason, today it made my mouth water.

Two minutes later, I walked by another part of the wharf and was suddenly assaulted by a smell that reminded me of rancid sewage. This time, my reaction was a more visceral wrinkling of the nose and holding my breath.

Two scents, each causing two very different reactions.

Smell is a powerful sense. For example, have you ever notice how a person’s scent will often leave the evidence of their presence long after they leave a room? A loved one may be miles away, but a whiff of their shirt transports them to our side. Perhaps a stranger walks by and leaves a trail of perfume (for good or for bad) in their wake.

We also leave a fragrance behind us, both literally and figuratively. For example, after we walk away from a conversation, our words can leave a beautiful or an odious scent behind. Love, grace, holiness, anger, disregard, and finger-pointing all have their peculiar pheromones.

This is what the Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:14-15:

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal possession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.  For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing…”

Did you catch that? The church is on earth to be the aroma of Christ to the world.Yet the way the church interacts with culture will determine the scent it leaves behind.

The church is quite good at telling the world what the church stands against, which can be a harsh odour. But when the church announces to and shows the world what the church is for, we create a beautiful aroma. When we show how we are for sacrificially loving the poor in spirit, or how we are for bringing restoration and helping broken people find wholeness and holiness in Christ, or how we are for helping the world awaken to the love offered to them by God, our actions are like incense.

But this isn't just true of the church. It's also true of every follower of Jesus. You - yes, you - are the aroma of Christ. You - yes, you - are called to leave the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus everywhere.

Do you?

PAUSE AND REFLECT: After we have interacted with culture, or spoken to society, or been in a place, what do people smell? Are we spreading the spice of grace, the fragrance of the knowledge of him, the scent of service and love? Or do we leave behind the uncaring smell of indifference (“Be warm and well fed”) and the stench of bitterness?

Paul goes on to state that not everyone is drawn to Christ's aroma. But our job is not to tell people what to smell. Our job is give off the pheromones of Jesus. And when people lean in for another whiff, a beautiful conversation can begin.

So take an honest look at how people react to our presence with them. Do we bring a smile to their face? Do they avoid us? Do they feel loved and encouraged when we walk away?

You are called to be the aroma of Christ. What are people smelling when you're close by?

—

Photo by Vero Photoart on Unsplash