Thought for Toda
1 Samuel 25:5 So David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, "Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name.
1 Chronicles 18:9 When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, 10 he sent his son Hadoram to King David, to greet him and to congratulate him
Matthew 5:47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
Mark 9:15 When the whole crowd saw him, they were immediately overcome with awe, and they ran forward to greet him.
How do you greet people? Do you say “Hello?” Do you offer your right hand in greeting? Although I have lived in New England for more than 10 years, I still sometimes say “Howdy.” Maybe you are a hugger, and greet everyone, even strangers with a hug. How do you greet people? Does your mode of greeting vary depending on how well you know those you are greeting?
Have you ever watched in amusement as some male U.S.A. politician or dignitary has been greeted in Europe, maybe in France or Italy, with a hug and kiss by a local politician? Styles and modes of greeting vary by country and even region within a country. I suspect that they always have. Certainly some graduate student has done a thesis or dissertation examining historical patterns of greeting.
How are Christians supposed to greet each other? “Romans 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.” That book of our Bible was written in the 1st century AD. We know from non-biblical writings that one of the criticisms leveled against those early Christians referenced their licentious behavior based on that ‘holy kiss.’ Imagine what would be said about us today were we to go around greeting each other with a ‘holy kiss.’ How do you greet people? Do you say “Hello?”
When I was younger, most men greeted each other by shaking hands. I have read that the tradition began as a way of assuring each other that neither was armed and that each intended no harm to the other. Of course, there was always the possibility that your opponent was left-handed. Evidently, over time, extending one’s right hand in greeting and shaking the right hand of the other became a normalized and standard greeting. I was taught as a young man that a gentleman never initiated a handshake with a lady, but rather waited to see whether she offered her hand first. I remember thinking that greeting rules seemed very complicated.
Today, it is not uncommon to see younger people offering a ‘fist-bump.’ I’m not sure how that came to be an acceptable form of greeting; and, I’m even more unsure as to whether the rule about gentlemen and ladies applies to ‘fist-bumps.’ Somehow, since I am ‘off an age,’ presenting my fist to a lady seems quite impolite irrespective of who presents whose fist first.
How do you greet people? Do you say “Hello?” What is current? What is correct? I cannot imagine our congregation greeting each other on a Sunday morning with fist-bumps. Greeting each other with ‘holy kisses,’ seems equally unimaginable. I’m trying to imagine how any visitors might react!
I can imagine the scene described in Mark 9. At the beginning of that chapter, Mark relates the Transfiguration, Jesus’ mountaintop meeting with Moses and Elijah. The inner circle of James, John and Peter had witnessed it all, had been overshadowed by the cloud and had heard "9:7 This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!" They had descended the mountain, continuing their discussion with Jesus. Then they came to the disciples arguing with the scribes and surrounded by a great crowd. It is no wonder that everyone was overcome with awe and ran forward to greet Jesus.
We may all greet each other in different ways. Some shake hands. Others hug. Some may even offer a kiss on the cheek. If we are young enough, we might ‘fist-bump.’ But all Christians, irrespective of age, when we meet Jesus will be overcome with awe and will surely run forward to greet Jesus . . . or, if of an age, briskly walk forward.
Stay safe, greet those you meet, trust God,
Pastor Ray