Last Sunday was Easter. Here in New Zealand, where I live, we have a full public holiday around Easter. It starts on Friday with Good Friday and ends on Easter Monday, the day after Easter Sunday. The Christian population is currently less than 10%, but for a country founded in the Christian spirit, it's a day of rest. So I didn't do anything on Monday and just stayed home and played around all day.

Then I went to Netflix and was browsing, and a title caught my eye. Heavenly Ever After, and in my head, I thought of ‘heaven after this life’. I was even more interested because I had just preached an Easter sermon the day before. Christianity is based on the cross and resurrection faith. Specifically, based on the foundation of resurrection faith, heaven is the final hope. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the ultimate goal of the Christian faith is heaven. Without the resurrection and heaven, faith would be in vain.

It is as if Koreans cannot forget kimchi, Indians cannot forget curry, and Westerners cannot forget cheese. For Christians, the hope of heaven is like an inseparable flavor. It reminds me of a scene I saw in a Hollywood movie a long time ago. When the main character is asked what he wants to eat after escaping from a deserted island, he says cheeseburgers. I also remember many years ago, during my one-year mission training in the Philippines, I was in the mountains for more than a week, and when I came down, miso stew and kimchi could not taste so good.

But do you know the truth behind this deliciousness? I think many of us have experienced it. When that delicious kimchi is aged, it smells rather disgusting. In India, for example, curry is part of every meal. That's why it has that characteristic Indian smell. Of course, it's the same smell that people in the West give off when they eat cheese. If we are a little selfless, we should realize that Koreans can also smell miso or kimchi somewhere.

In other words, this is our reality. What I eat, drink, and think is fine, but what others do is disliked and said to be wrong. We don't know what we smell, but we know what others smell. It is said that smells and tastes contain a person's culture, emotions, and thoughts. In other words, someone's smell or favorite taste is their world.

Today, we live in many multiethnic countries. I think the term global village is very appropriate, and especially here in New Zealand, we need to respect other ethnicities and other people's favorite flavors. And we need to be able to embrace the smells behind those flavors. I would like to apply this to the idea of a person who knows the flavor of heaven releasing the sacrificial aroma of Christ in this life.

Today, I am still incorporating the taste and smell of Christianity into my daily life and ministry. It is so rewarding.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)