The fragrance of God

'Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.' (John 12:3)

'But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.'(2 Cor 2:14)

I have always been interested in this idea that we are 'the fragrance' of God in thsi world. The earlier story of Mary pouring the expensive ointment on Jesus' feet is easy for us to relate to - after all, the room would surely have smelt of that perfume for days afterwards. After Jesus left, the memory of his visit would be there in the scent that remained.

But how are we 'a fragrance'?

On holiday recently in France we walked through a pine forest on particularly  hot day, and remarked that the air was filled with the beautiful scent of the pine resin. Not only was the day a beautiful one, filled with the song of birds and the discovery of new and exciting wildlife but so was the scent of the air that we breathed in. The interesting thing is that having come home and having nothing but photographs to remind myself of that walk, I can still remember the fragrance of the pine, even after the memories of the scenery fade.

What effect do we have on the people among whom we walk and work day  by day? What do they remember us for, if anything at all?

Is it what we wear that makes us stand out, or what we say and do that make the difference? Is it the simple act of kindness, the word of comfort and reassurance, the shoulder to lean on - is it these that linger in the mind as a thing of beauty?. Is this our witness to the world, the bringing into someone's life the fragrance of the love that Jesus showed to the world as he hung on the cruel cross?