The following poems—offered in the service of preaching about truth—highlight the depth of God’s love for us that enables us to freely love others as they are without requiring agreement. Heller reminds readers that vulnerability, authenticity, and prayer enable us to deepen relationships and “be true” to one another even when it is difficult.
This text uses the traditional perfume-making process of enfleurage as a metaphor for Christian baptism. Just as flowers' essence gradually infuses fat and alcohol to create perfume, baptism begins a lifelong process where believers absorb Christ's character and "aroma," becoming witnesses whose spirit reflects compassion, mercy, generosity, and courage. As such Christians can develop a "smell test" to be able to assess the truth of what others tell them.
Rev. Pritcher recalls Orthodox Jewish neighbors who broke Sabbath rules to help with an emergency, mirroring Jesus healing on the Sabbath despite religious objections. Both examples show that rigid law-following can miss God's kingdom in action. A commitment to truth extends beyond simply knowing what is good and right. It insists there be an alignment between what one knows and what one does grounded in compassion.
Sometimes the more that we seek truth in today’s world, the more we can become overwhelmed by what we learn. Seeking truth can heighten our anxiety, but as Rev. Pritcher points out, it can also offer consolation. We always have reason to hope.
