Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 [NLT]
Have you ever opened a window in a stuffy room, and been shocked at just how good the fresh air smelt? It is not just that it is cold and invigorating, but you can almost sense the extra oxygen content in your lungs.
In contrast, I expect you have seen pictures of the recent, choking smog in Chinese cities. People go around with cloth masks on, or sometimes full blown gas masks. It looks like a terrible grey cloud hanging over everything. Some older church members may have experienced the misery of smog in the UK before the clean air act of 1956 prohibited the burning of anything but smokeless fuels in built up areas.
The analogy for the Christian life that Paul uses is of us being a fragrance. I can’t say I find the word “fragrance” especially helpful as it conjures up a sense of overpowering perfume in an airport Duty Free shop, or a disgusting lavatory air freshener! But rather, I like to imagine God’s presence as clean mountain air, or the life giving oxygenated air flooding into a room of stale odours.
People are funny about smells, as I have alluded to! So whether you like to think of yourself as a “fragrance” or just a “breath of fresh air” amongst pollution, how can you be that amongst those you come into contact with today?
Jon Seaton
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