Warm Embrace
One of the strangest “one another” statements in God’s Word is that we are told in multiple places to greet one another with a kiss. If you don’t believe me, check out some of these examples in scripture:
Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. (Romans 16:16 ESV)
All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. (1 Corinthians 16:20 ESV)
Greet one another with a holy kiss. (2 Corinthians 13:12 ESV)
Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. (1 Peter 5:14 ESV)
I am guessing that most of us are grateful that we do not greet one another with a kiss at church! But we must consider carefully what these passages are stating, especially as it relates to building a real Christian community with one another.
In the time and culture in which the New Testament was written, the kiss was a common form of greeting, especially among family and close friends. It symbolized love, brotherly affection, and fellowship. During the recent Summer Olympics, you may have noticed when athletes kissed their coaches and fellow athletes. It was different from a romantic or sensual kiss, and more than a handshake, functioning much like a warm hug in our culture. It is a warm, intentional, out-of-your-way greeting to one another. This is similar to what we see here in scripture.
The “holy” qualifier that is included is a reminder that it is a unique type of connection which is not sexual in any way; it is all about warmly welcoming others. Much like a salute is a formal military gesture of respect, a “holy kiss” serves a cultural purpose that carries with it significant meaning. The key is that the essence of the gesture is continued on today because we need to learn to warmly greet one another.
Why would we need to be reminded by God to do that? Because it requires us to be deliberate about connecting. The command to greet one another with a holy kiss is intended to help us grow a much-needed connection with other believers. In that process, we take others that are different from us, who have different backgrounds and ethnicities, and we treat them like family. By the way, you absolutely cannot have a warm, personal connection with one another like this if you are not in the room with someone else. In our modern days, amazing technology can help us see one another across the world, but it cannot replace the type of connection that we were designed to thrive in.
While I do not recommend more kissing in church, I am suggesting that we all work hard to connect in meaningful ways with one another – in ways that others should notice. Jesus said that others will know that we are His by our love for one another. I think the way we greet and interact with one another is an important part of that. In Ephesians 4:15-16, Paul challenges us that we should “grow” and be “joined together” as a unified family. He is reminding us that we need to commit to connecting.
Expectantly,
Shawn
