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A Holy Kiss


Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings. (Romans 16:16)

Especially considering the specter of the Coronavirus, I am going to suggest that our holy “kisses” need not be an application of lips to cheek. The same level of greeting in our society can and does include hugs, handshakes, and fist bumps (which are a breed of handshakes.) There are two key ideas to consider.
The first is that whatever our greeting is, it should be holy. I might be taking it to extremes here, but it’s close to the sort of kiss you’d give your boss’ wife while he is jealously watching. This isn’t about friendship with benefits. Most of us know this, but anymore, it’s dangerous to take anything for granted.
The second idea is that it is supposed to signal friendship that does have benefits. Those greeted with a holy kiss are considered members of the body. They’re to be treated as “one of us.” Whatever you think of as an appropriate greeting to give parents you love and respect would probably be appropriate. The goal is to greet the as equals, not objects.
I’m not a physically affectionate person. I have learned to hug and shake hands as appropriate. I know that loving physical contact has health benefits. But, different people understand love in different ways. The “holy kiss” could easily be expanded to include, a holy word expressing the value of the individual, a few holy minutes of meaningful conversation, a holy helping, a holy kiss, or a holy token of affection. It just needs to be holy and to establish or re-establish a connection between you and the other person.

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