The Kiss of Love

-



Scripture:


1Pet. 5:12   Through Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, I have written this short letter to encourage you and to testify that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. 13 Your sister church in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings; and so does my son Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.


Observation:


This is the conclusion of Peter’s first letter. He brings personal greetings at the end, mentioning Silvanus, who we know as the Silas of Acts. This is a faithful brother in Christ who will be hand-delivering the letter. This point of affirmation is that Silas can be trusted because not only will he deliver and read the letter, but he will be expected to expound upon it. The listeners needed to know that this was someone to whom they ought to listen. 


The entire letter has been filled with words of encouragement and grace. The letter closes with an affirmation to stand firm in the true grace. The sister church is the local church in Rome. There, in the middle of the Empire is a small church, filled with Gods chosen people who send their greetings, as well as John Mark. This is the same Mark who wrote the second gospel. 


Peter encourages those within the church to “greet one another with a kiss of love.” The Venerable Bede tells us, “The holy kiss is the exact opposite of the kiss with which Judas betrayed the Savior. That is the sort of kiss used by those who speak peace to their neighbors, but their hearts are full of wickedness. The holy kiss, in sharp contrast to this, is one which is given not in word only but in deed and in truth as well”(ON 1 PETER). 


Application:


There are certain parts of the world, and particular cultures where it is normal to greet one another with a kiss. The biggest challenge is to remember what country you’re in, which side the kisses begin on, and how many kisses are a part of the greeting. If you’re not paying attention, (as I’ve been known to do on occasion) you will go the wrong direction and suddenly you’ve messed up the greeting by landing smack on the lips. It’s a bit embarrassing! 


There is something incredibly symbolic about this “kiss of love.” This was to be an outward sign of the inward love and unity within the body of Christ. When the community of believers came together, they were to express their great affection for one another. In the first century it was common for kisses to be exchanged within the family; parents kissing their children, and even servants and masters. This custom within the family was brought into the life of the church where these believers were now knit together as siblings within the family of God.


The kiss of love was to become a part of Christian worship. The terminology is quite specific because the Greek language of the kiss represents that which is practiced within the family — a kiss on the forehead, cheek or hand. There is nothing erotic about the word — and added to the Greek word for love used here, agape. This was the kind of love that was to be found within the church. Now, in the season of COVID, we are certainly not going to practice this kiss of love. However, I wonder what it is that can take the place of this kiss of love, for it was in this act that we witnessed humility. It’s hard to hold a grudge against someone — and yet greet them with a kiss in church. Our separation has made it easier to dislike one another, and that is dangerous for the church. 


Today I’m contemplating what a kiss of love might look like in the midst of a pandemic. Maybe it looks like a prayer list that intentionally includes the entire church directory — over time praying for every brother and sister in the faith. Maybe it looks like texting or calling other members of the church and checking in on them.  I think it also includes intentionally reaching out to those who may have a different perspective from yours and reflecting on all that you do have in common. It’s the young and the old willing to reach out to one another in holy love and sharing a connection which is in Christ. It may be using social media to post positive notes of affirmation on the walls of others. This is what the kiss of love looks like — an outward sign of the inward love that unites the body of Christ. 


Prayer:


Lord, please help us to intentionally practice Christian love within the church.  Amen. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a ti...
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her ...
Read more

On Grief and A Flute Player

-
Scripture: Matt. 9:23 When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, Matt. 9:24 he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Matt. 9:25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. Matt. 9:26 And the report of this spread throughout that district. Observation: This is a simple story which we have heard or read numerous times. Jesus heals the little girl and the people rejoice. But at the moment in which he arrives at the home he encounters the professional mourners. These are the flute players, the ones who have come to make a great noise about the child’s death. It is the flute player that testifies to the fact that she is truly dead. Also, flutes were generally employed when it came to the death of a child. The whole community would therefore understand that it is a child who has died in this home. The flute player is doing the job they have ...
Read more