Public Displays of Affection
“Greet one another with a holy kiss.”
Romans 16:16
I miss my friend, Mark. He passed away suddenly from a deadly heart attack in the fall of 2017. Months have gone by and I still miss him.
I miss him as a dear friend and special fishing buddy. I miss him as a ministry partner who (along with his dear wife, Diane) poured out time and energy for the youth of our church.
I miss his deck-building ability and I miss his grilling skills. I miss his generosity and I miss his sense of humor.
But one of the things I miss the most is his hugs. Mark was a hugger.
Every time we’d see one another and I would offer a handshake, he would shake his head with a smile and say, “Come on…you know better.” And he would give me a big bear hug.
It wasn’t just me. Mark was known throughout our church as a hugger. He would even plant a kiss on the forehead of some of the ladies, especially the elderly and widowed. (I have to wonder if that was the only demonstration of affection some of them ever received.)
The evening Mark died, the waiting room of the hospital was packed. It was filled with men and women, young and old. There was nothing they could do but pray, but they couldn’t stay away.
Mark’s funeral was one of the largest in our church’s history. The standing room-only crowd wanted to offer one last tribute to this amazing man.
As I was navigating my own grief during those days, others were doing the same. We encouraged each other with “Mark” stories, alternating between laughing and crying.
But one comment consistently surfaced. “I will miss his hugs.” That was often followed by the question, “Who will hug everyone now?”
Holy embraces all around!
The Apostle Paul closed his letter to the church at Rome with an interesting request: “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” The Message paraphrases it this way: “Holy embraces all around!”
More than a mere suggestion, it was a word of wise counsel that public displays of affection can send powerful private messages. Messages such as “I see you!” and “You matter!”
Public displays of holy affection can send powerful private messages. Messages such as “I see you!” and “You matter!”
Perhaps not all of us are cut out to greet one another as openly as Mark was, but his example of caring for people, especially the marginalized and ignored, is a good reminder.
To extend the love of God to others in tangible ways, whether with a warm hug, a holy kiss, or simply a friendly smile is not a difficult thing to do. And we may dismiss its importance. But to those who seldom, if ever, receive such demonstrated affection, it’s no small thing.
Just ask the friends of my friend, Mark.
Prayer:
Lord, it’s all to easy to see love as only a noun. Yet throughout Your Word, it was shown as a verb. Help me to not only feel love for others, help me to show it. And as others sense love from me, help them to sense love from You.
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