Greetings

Dad, visiting with friends! 

Scripture

Rom. 16:3   Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus, ⁴ and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. ⁵ Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ. ⁶ Greet Mary, who has worked very hard among you. ⁷Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. ⁸ Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. ⁹ Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. ¹⁰ Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. ¹¹Greet my relative Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. ¹² Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. ¹³ Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; and greet his mother—a mother to me also. ¹⁴ Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who are with them. ¹⁵ Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. ¹⁶ Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. (NRSVUE)

Observation

As Paul concludes his letter to the Romans, he includes a long list of greetings. By this time, it appears that many people he had met throughout his ministry had found their way to Rome. I am struck by the sheer number of individuals he knows by name. Many of these are people with whom Paul had shared life and ministry. Some had undoubtedly become his friends, his co-workers, and those whom he had discipled in the faith.

Notice the beautiful diversity of this list—Jew and Greek, Roman, man and woman, rich and poor. Paul regarded them all as brothers and sisters in Christ. He wanted each one to be greeted as family—with a holy kiss. Then, just to remind them that they belonged to something even greater, he adds that all the churches of Christ send their greetings as well.

Application

A number of years ago, Chuck and I took my parents on a road trip to Canada with us. We picked them up in Idaho and planned to drive north to Alberta, where we would be speaking at a camp meeting. It was held on the same district where my mother had grown up and where she had given her life to the Lord. We knew that, for her, this would be a journey home.

There was nothing my dad loved more than a good road trip. By this time he had lost much of his eyesight and could no longer drive. The thought of traveling together filled him with excitement. I had carefully planned the route, our overnight stops, and even the pit stops. Traveling with two people in their nineties requires a little extra planning.

We loaded the car and headed north. Dad, who had always been remarkable with directions, asked what highway we were on. After we told him, he paused and said, "You know, your cousin Becky lives about ten minutes off this highway in Washington. We should see if we can stop and visit her."

I didn't even have Becky's phone number.

After all, I had a plan.

While Chuck drove, I searched through Facebook Messenger and, amazingly, was able to make contact. A few hours later, Becky met us at a little ice cream shop just off the highway. We spent a wonderful afternoon catching up. We were family, and it was a gift simply to be together.

We climbed back into the car, now running well behind my carefully constructed schedule.

The next day we crossed the border into Canada and finally arrived at the town where I had reserved a hotel. As we pulled into town, Dad casually remarked, "I think your cousin Harvey lives here."

Now, I have cousins who are more than twenty years older than I am. Some I had met only once in my life. I had no idea there was a cousin Harvey in this town.

Dad smiled and said, "Let's look him up."

Once again, I searched online and found a home phone number. Thinking it was a long shot, I called. A man answered.

"Could you be my cousin Harvey?"

He laughed and said that he was.

Within the hour we were sitting together in a restaurant while my parents greeted him with hugs and laughter. Once again, family had been found.

Somewhere along that journey I realized that the destination wasn't the most important part of the trip.

The greetings were.

For my parents, now in the later years of their lives, every greeting was a gift. Every embrace with a cousin and every conversation with an old friend at camp reminded them that they belonged to a family much larger than themselves.

Within the family of God, we also need to slow down and take time to greet one another. The importance of friendships and relationships cannot be overstated. How else will we participate in making disciples if we never take the time to know one another?

These days, my husband smiles and says that I've become my father. As we travel to district assemblies, I often ask who we know along the way and whether we might stop to see them. I think about an afternoon eating ice cream with my cousin Becky and realize it was a gift I almost missed because I was too focused on arriving.

Perhaps Paul understood something we sometimes forget. The kingdom of God grows not only through preaching and teaching, but also through relationships. Sometimes one of the holiest things we can do is simply stop, greet one another, and remind each other that we belong to the same family.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for the precious people You have placed in our lives. Help me never to become so focused on the destination that I miss the gift of the people You place along the way. May I greet others as my brothers and sisters in Christ and always remember that we belong to Your family. Amen.