Most Sundays in most of the churches where I worship there is a time to greet one another. Sometimes it is formal and stylized, in other congregations it is warm and embracing, either way there is an intentional recognition of the importance of greeting fellow worshippers.
I found myself wondering about the weekly greeting ritual. Do we do it only because it is part of the liturgy or is there a sense in me that says it is important to connect, even briefly, with those who worship with me and worship around me?
This brief musing, and where it led in my thinking, was sparked by the final verse of the chapter and the letter. Peter concludes, Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ (14).
Peter pens numerous commands in this chapter… be shepherds of the flock (2), be humble yourselves (6), be self-controlled and alert (8), resist (9) and so on until we come to the last, greet one another (14). I don’t normally give ‘greeting one another’ the importance of some of those other commands but there it is staring at me with the same force as the command to ‘be humble’.
It could very well be that greeting others, relating to others and how I treat others is far more important, at least to God, than I generally think…
Tomorrow when we gather for worship let’s put as much heart-felt energy and effort into to our greetings of one another as we do our singing, praying, attending to the word and giving… and let’s see what God does among us.
Lord, help me to hone the worshipping family You have given me. Help me to give my heart and soul to those You have placed around me as fellow travelers on the way of Jesus. In His name I pray. Amen.
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