Read Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; and 2 Corinthians 13:12.

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"Greet one another with a holy kiss." 2 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV)

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It is not about the kiss.

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Over the centuries much has been made of the significance of the kiss, but the primary flow of the text and the driving point of the statement is the "greeting" that one believer has for another. Religious significance has been placed on the kiss, far in excess of what the apostles had in mind when they penned that phrase. As "holy" means "set apart for God's own use," the kiss is what sets us apart from the world that seeks only to separate us from our Lord. 

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The image is of saints - believers - loving each other in the name of Jesus our Lord. When people are desperately in love, they cannot wait to be together. A kiss comes naturally without religious connotation. 

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When was the last time that someone at church triggered that loving response in you? When was the last time that you could not wait to be with your brothers and sisters, who too were called out of this world by God and united in love by the Savior? Have you ever missed someone so much that you could not wait to greet them with a kiss?

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PRAYER: Father, help us to have the same love for our brothers and sisters in Christ that we profess to have for you. Your calling for each believer - each saint -- is that we greet each other as we might greet you if we were able to run into your arms in person!