Just a Kiss Away... In church?

I'm going to shock you. Did you know that several hundred years ago, the ealry Christian church was accused of participating in....orgies? Yes, that's what I said. You can wikipedia it if you need further definition. The early church was accused of, get this, cannabalism and orgies. A far cry of what the church is accused of today, that's for sure.

During the 2nd Century a man by the name of Justin Martyr recorded the beginnings of the early church. So why the bad rap? The early church had a beautiful symbol for expressing God's pure love for each other. In fact, Paul actually refers to it in Romans 16:16; the holy kiss. Now, as I think back on how this passage has been "tamed", I laugh. According to Justin, the kiss was a kiss on the lips (forget this cheek stuff). Why?

"It is the kiss-exchanged on the lips because it is identified with the breath of God in the creation stories- that has so scandalized the critics of Christianity...however, the kiss is not a scandal, but a sign of the pure love of God. It is a spiritual expression of unity as the community moves toward sharing Holy Communion". Robert E. Webber, Rediscovering the Missing Jewel

I love it. It's such a beautiful image. I know what you're thinking, and I'm not necessarily advocating that the mega-church down the street start a kissing session during the worship service. This "holy kiss" occurred in small house churches where the people were intimately involved in each others lives. It was a symbol of God's love. I come from a Hispanic family where we all kissed and hugged; it's natural to me. Others may be more uncomfortable with that level of intimacy and that's okay. Some have been abused and injured and we need to be sensitive about this but again, when we develop the intimacy, love and concern for others in small, close knit groups, that level of intimacy is a safe environment.