This is the time of year when those ridiculous fragrance commercials pop up on TV screens with annoying frequency. Watching yet another androgynous couple trying to exude sex appeal in unlikely locations, my mind wandered back to my earliest awareness of perfume as a gift.

When I was very small my mother sometimes watched TV game shows where the losing contestants were given “parting gifts”.  As I played with my toys I frequently heard the announcer enthusiastically proclaiming the gift of “My Sin” by Lanvin.  Not being a very sophisticated little girl, I didn’t know what that was.  My young ears heard, “Mice in my Lan Van”.  This was before the heyday of the minivan, but I’d seen Mayflower moving vans, so I assumed a Lan van was another of those.  Toy trucks were very popular at that time, and I envied those who would get to play with toy mice in their Lan van.

As I grew up I learned of my mistake, but I seldom thought about the meaning of the real words. To me My Sin was just the name of a French perfume.

When I stop to consider the concept of “my sin” as opposed to your sin or anyone else’s, though, it isn’t hard to see parallels.

Perfume can be expensive and my sin can cost me dearly.  More than that, I have a tendency to think of my particular sin as having a mild, or sweet fragrance while other people’s sins are an unpleasant odor.  I may go so far as to consider my own sin as something kept in an attractive container, only used on special occasions. It may even be a mark of sophistication.

The Bible says that sin is sin, whether yours, mine or anyone’s. Sin is willful disobedience to God.

Every disgusting, unspeakable act, such as the unprovoked slaughter of innocents, begins with someone’s precious little sin.

It is time to recognize that we need to get rid of that cherished sin. Like a bottle of perfume that sits on the shelf too long, it can become rancid, its stench polluting everything around us.