"HOLY KISSES"

“Greet one another with a kiss of love.” 1 Peter 5:14a

I don’t know if all young Christian guys like this verse as much as I did when I was about 17, but I have to say when I found out that Christians were to kiss each other as a form of hello I was pretty jazzed. Needless to say or I must confess, that I once used this verse as a weak line on a date to explain why it could be specifically God’s will that we fulfill the directive of scripture before the date went any further. Come on now, work with me here! Surely this was what Peter meant. He was encouraging me to at least offer a Biblical perspective on the subject. Not too long after that a Pastor preached on this section of scripture at Summer Camp and I got a deeper message about love and holiness. It cramped my style a bit, but I didn’t misuse the verse again. I still can read into this text and caution us all to be careful how we interpret His Word. Makes me laugh today that I was so brash, forward, and self-indulged in my thinking. But, I was sweet, and when the girl said, “just one” I left it at that for the evening.

So, what about hugging in church? I know a few folks that run and hide during the greeting time and a few others that get a little too “huggy” as well. The important thing is to check your motives and keep it truly brotherly or sisterly, or better yet motherly or fatherly and childlike. We know what is appropriate and if you don’t I hope someone tells you real soon. I think we should error on the side of caution here and make sure that holy means holy and love mean His love and nothing less.

Fatherly hugs,
Pastor Fred

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