The Holy Kiss, a traditional Christian greeting in the context of worship, has existed at least since the time of the apostle Paul. In what is widely regarded as among the earliest of the New Testament writings, the first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul writes in summation, “Beloved, pray for us. Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all of them” (1 Thessalonians 525-27). Reference to the holy kiss appears four times in the letters of Paul (Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:26) and a further reference to the “kiss of love” is found in the Catholic or General Epistles (1 Peter 5:14).
The Holy Kiss was seen as a liturgical act, and was not viewed in the same way as the common kiss in the ancient world. Certainly greeting with a kiss was a common practice among friends in the Roman world, as well as a typical Jewish greeting. However, in the Christian church it was viewed as a “holy” kiss and was observed only among members of the church in its liturgy. In his description of the worship services of the Christians of the second century, Justin Martyr, in the second century, reported that the kiss was regularly used. The Apostolic Constitutions states: “Then let the men apart, and the women apart, salute each other with a kiss in the Lord.” Origen, in the early third century, connected the kiss of the Christians with the apostolic injunction of Romans 16:16. At that time, the practice was that the one baptizing a convert, as well as the entire church, greeted those who were newly baptized with the holy kiss. The evidence is clear that the kiss was uniformly used at both baptism and communion in the early church, and it is found in all the ancient liturgies.
Justin Martyr noted that the kiss of peace should be exchanged by men only with other men and by women only with other women, although Athenagorus, a Christian apologist of the late second century, simply gave the warning, “If any one kiss a second time, because it has given him pleasure, he sins... Therefore the kiss, or rather the salutation, should be given with the greatest care, since, if there be mixed with it the least defilement of thought, it excludes us from eternal life.” While the holy kiss gradually disappeared from common use, it continued to be practiced in special liturgical acts, particularly in connection with baptism, ordination, the consecration of bishops, the act of marriage, and in preparation to receive the Lord’s Supper. The twelfth - or thirteenth- century western church saw the introduction of the instrumentum pacis, a piece of wood or metal with an iconic carving that would be kissed by the worshipper at the altar prior to receiving communion. The Christian act of marriage has preserved the holy kiss through the centuries; the newly married husband and wife kiss as part of the liturgy. This may be the one biblical act in many modern marriage ceremonies.
In the modern world, the holy kiss is found as a regular part of worship in many Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and liturgical Protestant churches, often as a preparation to receive the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper. In this context, it is intended, as in the early church, to convey love, respect, equality, and peace between members of the Christian community, who may have come from varied social backgrounds but who, in the context of Christian liturgy and community, are equal and one. The Dictionary of Christian Antiquities notes, "The kiss, the instinctive token of amity and affection from the earliest times, found a place in the life and worship of the Christian church. The symbol of peace and love could nowhere find a more appropriate home, in its highest and purest ideal, than in the religion of peace and love." Referred to in different denominations as the kiss of peace, or the sharing of the peace, this ritual act might be a holy kiss or, much more commonly, a simple handshake; in either case, the origins of this act are in the practice of the early church, as echoed in the letters of Paul.
This simple act, along with the means by which the Eucharist or Holy Communion is shared, is coming under review in many churches in the face of the threat of the H1N1 flu pandemic. While vaccinations are taking place across Canada, and preventive hygiene is being preached from the pulpits of public health agencies, the church has traditionally been a place where people gather, and reflecting the early church model attempt to gather in radically inclusive communities that give no regard to social status, gender, wealth, ethnicity, or other potentially divisive elements. As a sign of that radical inclusiveness, of community and of oneness in faith, the congregation meets together, often in close quarters, and shares faith and peace, often with a holy kiss or handshake to mark the sharing of peace. Suddenly churches are questioning their practices, including the use of a common cup, the act of intinction (dipping the bread into a common cup), and the sharing of the peace through the shaking of hands, embrace, or a kiss. It makes sense that in order to show respect or regard for others, we avoid infecting them with germs we might be carrying.
But perhaps, in the face of minor adjustments in worship practice, the church has the opportunity to play a key role in a pandemic, should it affect the nation as forecast. If, in fact, large numbers are struck by the flu and laid low at home, the community of the church congregation may be able to play a vital role in supporting individuals not only in its own community, but in the larger towns or cities where they are located. Church members might be enlisted to reach out in acts of compassionate service in small but significant ways, such as ensuring that groceries are brought in, meals are prepared, or other tasks are completed for those unable to care for themselves as the H1N1 flu runs its course. Proper preventive hygiene, vaccinations, and a community organized to respond can ensure that people are cared for, without undue increase of risk. Church buildings could be used as emergency drop-in centres, information centres, or in other ways to support a larger community beyond its walls as it responds to the potential pandemic. If so, this would be a larger witness to the sharing of the peace with all people, beyond what the early church might have envisioned. The church, built on caring, compassion and service, can not only know peace within, but share that peace, hope, and goodwill, beyond stained glass.