Monday, April 11, 2022
When we moved back to Florida in early 1983 after
attending seminary, the first church we served was in McIntosh. There were no apple trees, but the
neighboring little town was (appropriately) named Orange Lake. There was a small lake, and the most northern
stand of orange groves in Florida. Easter
sunrise service on April 3rd was overlooking the lake, surrounded by
orange trees; the overwhelming aroma was provided by sunrise and orange
blossoms.
After 39 years the memory of that day has shards of scented
snapshots:
·
a layman preaching to a gathered assembly of Presbyterians,
Disciples, Methodists, Baptists, and the curious cultural seekers,
·
and the mud…a trail between the orange
trees in full blossom, on a forty-degree morning.
·
The faint whine of a portable generator powering a scratchy portable
sound system, and
·
the fog concealing the lake next to the grove.
But one of the pictures remains vivid and unwrinkled, it
is how clearly the scent of orange blossoms in early spring covered the smell
of diesel fumes from the tractor that hauled the flatbed trailer, upon which
the gathered choir from 6 churches stood next to the squelching sound system.
Many years prior a woman brought such a fragrance to the
table, anointing Jesus’ feet, and, of all things, wiping those sacred feet with
her hair. And, many years later, on this
morning, remembering the smell of orange blossoms in a town named for apples, the
message of a savior, prepared for death by a seeker, offering the best she
had. And the fragrances conjoined – a
sacrifice that lasts.
Past the cross and empty tomb, perhaps for weeks,
wherever Mary went, that sweet aroma in her hair filled the rooms – a reminder
of sacrifice and salvation, of offering and joy…the hair that wiped the
savior’s feet still carried the unmistakable memory of God’s loving presence.
For You Today
You have memories,
plenty of them. If there are
rememberances of simple joys, the smile, a caring lift to your day, an
unexpected laugh, the kinds of things that inspired and intrigued you, draw on
the these lingering fragrances. And
remember Mary’s hair, and the sweet odor of sacrifice. It was very costly, and totally free…for you.
[1] Title image: Pixabay.com Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©
No comments:
Post a Comment