I was intrigued to learn that rats are starting to play an important part in the fight against the world's second most fatal infectious disease. It seems that they can smell the presence of tuberculosis in samples of spit!

I get the feeling that the apostle Paul would have been impressed with that given he understood the importance of smell: “Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God,” he wrote to his friends. I was reminded of those words when I was reflecting on the life of Pope Francis. He was clearly an amazing man, and although I would disagree with a lot of his theology, I would love to think that people would say that my life was as ‘sweet-smelling’ as his appears to have been.

Francis’ love for the poor, the disadvantaged, the prisoner and the refugee must have really pleased His heavenly Master given all he that He taught, and I don’t think it would be stretching things to say that Jesus would have loved the ‘smell’ of his life because of the way he cared for the church in Gaza too. It would seem that he called Gaza’s only Catholic church every day during the war between Israel and Hamas, even during what he called his “period of trial” when he was hospitalised for nearly 40 days. Father Romanelli, who heads the church is on record as saying he was “a very humble servant of the Lord.” His desire to build bridges not walls would have smelled sweetly in heaven and seems to have had an effect on Mr Trump too.

But Francis was not alone. My friend Bill Curl is yet another believer who carries the aroma of Jesus. I mentioned Bill a few weeks ago when I reported that his wife had died from the injuries she had sustained when she was attacked at their home in Orlando. I can now tell you that this amazing Baptist Pastor has publicly forgiven the man responsible for her death.

Bill Curl has obviously been devastated by the loss of his wife. They have been married for 64 years and he described her as “the glue that kinda holds our family together". But despite his devastating loss he has said of her killer “I would say for him, we have nothing but forgiveness, for love, for a hope that his life has a better quality, and one day he’ll come to know Jesus.”

Bill doesn’t deny the fact that the man needs to be punished (thankfully, he has pleaded guilty) but in true ‘Jesus fashion’ he has pointed out that that punishment does not negate forgiveness.

The judge who oversaw the case was clearly impressed by his attitude because she told the convicted assailant: “I rarely see grace in this courtroom, but I saw it today from Rev’d Curl.” Now I get the feeling that the aroma of Jesus will be hanging around that courtroom for quite some time and I can’t help thinking how wonderful it would be if it hung around more of us too.