What Smells?

Ephesians 5:1-2

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

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Ooooh that smell
Can't you smell that smell
Ooooh that smell
The smell of death surrounds you

"That Smell" written by Allen Collins and Ronnie Van Zandt recorded by Lynyrd Skynyrd on "Street Survivors"

This song was written about Gary Rossington, the guitar player holding a cigarette in this video, after he wrapped his car around the aforementioned oak tree. When his car was approached, all anyone could ask is "What's that smell?" The best answer was probably "rock and roll excess."

The smell of cigarettes and whiskey, the smell of cocaine and gasoline, the smell of oak and rubber, it must have been something to behold. That's before allowing any other sense to help us perceive the situation. Smells, the smell that surrounds an event can be as powerful as any other way we can sense what's happening.

In church, some folk talk about "smells and bells." Some lament that they can overwhelm worship, others lament that they're missing from the church. It's a pity when the smells leave worship because they were so important to the beginnings of worship. The smell of the sacrifice, the smell of the incense, the smell of the oils; all of these helped us remember who we are and whose we are.

Let's remember, frankincense and myrrh were two of the gifts of the Magi to the Christ child. Aroma was that valuable and that important. Smell is an important trigger of memory, so when we lose the smell of worship we lose something that could help us remember the Lord all week long.

Christ himself was a sacrifice, the ultimate sacrifice, the last sacrifice. He is the Lamb of God whose blood took away the sin of the world. He gave himself up for us and for the world as a fragrant offering to God. Of all of our smells, the smells of worship should remind us of his life and our new life in Christ. Incense helps us recall those memories.

Lynyrd Skynyrd sings of the smell of death surrounding us. Christ offers the smell of life. Yes, put down the whiskey bottle and take your foot off the gas, and relish the smell of life that we are called to wrap around ourselves.

Blood

Hebrews 9:22

Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

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How long?
How long must we sing this song?
How long?
How long?

"Sunday Bloody Sunday" by U2

Purified in the blood. That's the way of the Old Testament. Blood Atonement is also a way for Mormons. In fact, when Utah legalized death penalty again in 1976, the first execution was of Gary Gilmore who chose firing squad over hanging in accordance with the Mormon concept of blood atonement.

The lamb of God, this is one of the titles Jesus is known by. He was the paschal lamb slaughtered for the sins of creation. He was the paschal lamb whose blood makes all clean again.

The U2 song "Sunday Bloody Sunday" isn't exactly based on the Bloody Sunday of 1920 or of 1972, it is based on both and on so much more. It's the lament of a man crying "How much violence must we endure? How much violence must we inflict? How long must this continue? How long must we sing this song? How long?"

In a world where sin lives and breathes, the answer to this question is forever. But in the world of the resurrection, in a world where Jesus has won victory over the grave, it happens bit by bit. Bono knew this writing this song, he sings:

The real battle yet began
To claim the victory Jesus won on...
Sunday, Bloody Sunday

The battle is won in Christ. What we have to do now is believe it and start living like it.