The Aroma of Hope

Our family just returned from a mission trip to Mexico. The theme of the trip was "The Aroma of Hope." I won't go into all of the nuances of the "aromas" to which the theme referred. Believe me, when you combine 100 degree heat with hard work and no running water, there were many, both good and bad.

But, one of the "aromas" to which the theme referred was the aroma of Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:15-16. According to these verses, we are the aroma of Christ, the "fragrance of life."

A couple of years ago, my uncle gave me a bottle of cologne that had belonged to my grandfather, who had died over 20 years earlier. When I opened the bottle and smelled the cologne, I was immediately transported into many memories of my grandfather. I did not just recall them. I felt like I was there. The fragrance awakened many memories that had either been long forgotten or muted by time. But, one sniff of this cologne made them all real again.

As I recalled this event, I wondered if the same dynamic was at work when God calls us the aroma of Christ, the "fragrance of life." Do all men and women have a vague, long forgotten memory of the love of God written deep within their hearts? An echo of Eden. One that has been muted by time, by wounds and by sin. By serving people and showing them just a glimpse or sniff of God's love, are we awakening a longing for that love, for that life in Christ?

I believe it is possible. If so, what a powerful tool for winning the lost.

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