I WANNA BE IN A PARADE!

I have a fondness in my heart for parades. As a boy in Vancouver, Canada, on New Year’s Day I loved to watch on television the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. Weather on New Year’s Day in Vancouver was often cold and wet and occasionally we might have snow. To sit at home and watch people along the parade route wearing lightweight clothing, with the temperature in the sixties or seventies, created a warm place in my heart for parades. But when we lived in Los Angeles, and we did for sixteen years, I never attended the parade in person—my preference was to watch it on TV.

When Carol and I lived in New York, I enjoyed watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade but, alas, I never went to the parade site, as my fondness extended only to watching it on TV.

But there is a parade that I am proud to say that I am in and I do mean IN. The Apostle Paul speaks of it in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16: “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. 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 life, to the other a fragrance from life to life.”

Paul, of course, lived during the time of the Roman Empire. When he wrote this passage, he had in mind the Roman Triumph, which was the triumphal entry of a military hero into the city of Rome. In a Triumph, the procession of the victorious general marched through the streets of Rome to the Capitol. First in the parade came the officials of the state, then came the trumpeters, then soldiers carrying spoils from the conquered land. Soon followed the captive rulers and captured generals in chains, who would be executed before the day was over. Following them came the musicians and the pagan priests swinging their censers with sweet-smelling incense burning in them. All along the parade route you could smell the aroma of the burning spices. Finally in the parade rode the conquering general, followed by his army, all of whom were shouting, “Lo, Triumohe!”—a shout of joy or triumph.

This is the picture in Paul’s mind. He sees Christ marching in triumph and all His people marching with Him in the conquering troop. Christ is in the lead and we, His warriors, march behind Him enjoying the benefits of His victory. As His army, we fight not for victory but from victory. Those who march behind the Conqueror are emitting the sweet-smelling fragrance of victory, the sweet fragrance of the Son of God, the Conqueror.

This is powerful imagery to take in. I trust that in the days ahead you will take time to contemplate (meditate) on this wonderfully rich passage. It is worth your time to let the Holy Spirit bring this Word from the Lord alive in your life and your spirit. It is the sound and smell of victory!

Let me leave you with a few thoughts from my heart to yours:

1.     Who is leading your parade? If Jesus is not the ultimate source of leadership in your life, then why is He not? Who could possibly replace Him?

2.     Is there a distinctive sense of victory in your life? If we truly are to be living our lives based on the victory that Christ won on the cross, then why is the American church in retreat? Why are so many American and Canadian Christians living such dismal spiritual lives? How can this be? I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

3.     Paul used the intriguing word picture that the army of the Lord is the aroma/fragrance of Christ to those who are perishing. That distinctive sweet smell is the Holy Spirit bearing His fruit in the lives of His believers. It is nothing less than the rich bouquet of the fruit of the Spirit.

There are Spirit-filled congregations and people all around the world who have the distinctive fragrance of the fruit of the Spirit encompassing them. Carol and I moved our family to Los Angeles in the mid-1970’s. As we looked for a home church, we visited The Church on the Way pastored by Dr. Jack Hayford. Sitting in the very first service, both Carol and I began to weep during worship as we were overcome by the fragrance of the Lord’s presence. We knew, as we sat there, that we were home—and, indeed, that fellowship became our church home for the next fourteen years. The hardest part of moving to another part of the state was leaving that church that was so permeated by the fragrance of the presence of the Lord.

My question to you is simple but is sure to rouse some emotions. What is the distinctive fragrance that surrounds your life? Is it the rich bouquet of the fruit of the Spirit or is it the bouquet of something else? Are you attracting people to the Lord? Is your life an encouragement to other believers? Do you need to check your fragrance?