October 24, 2024

October 24, 2024

We are familiar with a wide array of attempts from advertisers to convince us to buy their products. Their attempts to get their product recognized often become more and more outlandish, but each ad seeks to appeal to our eyes, ears, or both. Last spring, however, a curious advertising campaign in Europe sought to appeal to people’s noses.

This aromatic advertisement was staged in pedestrian areas, and it consisted of simple red or yellow billboard signs with no words or even a company logo. As people passed by these signs, their olfactory senses were tantalized by the enticing smell of McDonald’s French fries. Immediately, people recognized what they were smelling. You could say their eyebrows arched with surprise and recognition at the fragrance from the golden arches.

The smell was produced by dozens of cartons of cooked French fries placed inside the sign. Ventilator fans in the sign dispersed the aroma. McDonald’s produced a video of people enjoying the smells – yes, an ad about the ad – stating the following at the end: “People could look away, but they couldn’t smell away. It’s the first billboard where the smell becomes the ad.” That last claim is not completely true.

While scented billboards are new, Christians were called to aromatic advertising long ago. Paul wrote this to the Corinthian believers:

For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? (2 Corinthians 2:15-16 ESV)

We are meant to be Christ-scented billboards to the world around us. Like the McDonald’s ad states, people can look away, but they can’t smell away. While not all will believe, everyone will be confronted by the unmistakable aroma of Jesus that we bring.

Paul asks who is sufficient for such a task. Reminded of our failings, we may be tempted to consider ourselves unfit for such a role. Our sincerity and love are key factors. The way we treat one another in love brings out this aroma. Loving, forgiving, serving, and encouraging acts become little blower fans to spread the aroma of Christ.

That, I think is the amazing part. God calls us to do this! Paul, too, is amazed that God placed him in such a role as an apostle.

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

What aroma are you spreading? Is it the fragrance of Christ, or is it something different? Consider how you can be an aromatic billboard for Jesus wherever you go.

Or to put it another way. . .

Keep the SON in your nose!
Kevin Freeman