1126AFC070111
Read it online here.
Aloha nui loa, ‘Ōmea! Much love to you Beloved! Today’s verse is another one from Proverbs. It is a sweet thought that has some deep implications. It is Proverbs 24:26:
An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips [from a true friend].
In this day and age, that can be dangerous ground to tread, especially if you don’t look a little deeper into what it all means. Is this something that can be linked to St. Paul’s message, “Greet one another with a holy kiss” in Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, and 1 Thessalonians 5:26? Sort of, but it is more along the lines of a greeting between two very good friends as in 2 Samuel 19:39 as between King David and his dear friend, Barzillai. The gray-haired old man had done great service to David – so much so that David wanted to take him to live with him a life of fame and honor in Jerusalem. Barzillai turned him down by basically saying, “I’m too old for that stuff. You go on ahead and have a great life.” David loved him for that unselfishness and kissed him as he prepared to cross the Jordan on his return to Jerusalem.
There is another example in Acts 20:37. Paul is with the church in Miletus with representatives of the Church of Ephesus. He has acknowledged being led by the Spirit to travel to Jerusalem. This was a momentous decision, and literally changed the course of church history. Paul has just told his dear friends that they will probably never see him again, and they are moved with deep sorrow as they bid him farewell with embraces and kisses.
A kiss is a token of affection. It can be one person to another person as mother to child, it can be a shared moment was we share a kiss as husband and wife, or it can be a sacred moment as in the Sign of Peace (the literal Kiss of Peace or Biblical Holy Kiss). A kiss from a friend, especially a deeply-loved friend, is different from all of these. It is a sign of affection, yes, but also a sign of deep respect and love. When your friend gives you a kiss, it is way different from the kiss you get from your mom or dad, your gramma or grampa, your auntie or uncle, or from any relative for that matter. It is also way different from the kiss you get from your spouse or your boyfriend/girlfriend, or your kids. A kiss from a friend is like a polite and affectionate closing to a beautiful letter. It is not out of character for the person or their relationship to you. It is just a perfect way to say, “You are so beautiful to me. I love you.”
God says that to us sometimes. I recall the story of a young priest we knew in Phoenix who told us about one of those experiences. He told us that when he was facing the decision to go to seminary, he felt unworthy, depressed, uncertain, and asked God to show him how to make his decision. Nothing happened. He decided to drive over to the athletic field to watch a softball game. As he sat there in his car, he continued to wrestle with his convictions and his doubts. It was no use. There was still no answer. Then, by impulse, he reached over and turned on the car radio, thinking it would help take his mind off this internal debate. Just as he reached for the switch on the radio he prayed, “OK, God. I get it. I’ll be still and wait on you. I’m just not sure I’m good enough for this, not sure I can do what you want, not sure if I’m even able to hear you if you do answer me.” The radio started up and the first thing he heard was God’s answer to his prayer. It was a song, and the words were, “You are so beautiful to me…” He instantly knew God not only heard him but also answered back, and that’s how he started the process of becoming Father Mark.
That was one sweet answer! For Fr. Mark it was like a kiss on the lips from God himself! It was – in today’s parlance – so sahhhh-WEET! It reverberated through his whole being. Here in Hawaii we’d say he got “chicken-skin” (goose-bumps). His heart skipped a beat. He knew with perfect clarity that God loved him because the answer was that intimate and correct. When your valued, dear, honest, and deeply-loved friend gives you a kiss like that, you just feel … BLESSED!! It’s not sexual (hetero-, homo-, or otherwise), it’s not worldly, it’s not even uncomfortable. Far from it in fact, because an honest Holy Kiss is a reminder of the powerful love of God. He became an earthling so he could plant a Holy Kiss on other earthlings.
And so we go back and look at this verse in Proverbs. It is not the act of giving or sharing a kiss that is the point of this verse. It’s about what it is like to receive a kiss like that. In the context of the era in which the verse was written (and right up until this very moment as you read these words) it has nothing to do with a kiss. If you ask a question and get a delightfully satisfactory answer, it’s like getting a kiss on the lips from a dear friend, from God even. It is sahhhh-WEET! So when you get an honest answer – from a friend, a lover, an advisor, a bank, a government agency, a spouse, a child, a pastor, from any person or institution – an honest answer is like a sweet kiss. It is a welcoming, intimate realization that The Truth has been presented to you as a gift. Gosh, I love that idea!
Of course, I also love the idea of a sweet kiss on the lips from a dear friend – even if it comes over the radio like it did for Father Mark. I remember one time in Kayenta (you’ve heard this story before) I was really disgusted with having to stay 120 miles away from the family and drive over two hours to get home Friday night and then leave before sun-up to get back before work Monday morning. I asked God “What do you want me to do here?!?!” And God’s quiet answer was “Live here!” Oh, yeah, no? That was such a sweet kiss – maybe it felt like a kick in the head at the time, but now I remember it as a Kiss.
So, Beloved, think about that the next time you hear a dishonest answer, and go out of your way to give an honest answer, an honest appraisal, and always an honest Holy Kiss.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved! Pucker up! God may be waiting to plant one on you, too! And think about this: How much do you think God would enjoy a kiss on the lips from you?!?!?
Who-o-o-a-a-ah, DUDE! Chicken-skin!!
Share-A-Prayer
A former parishioner from our St. Catherine’s Parish here in Kapaa is going in on July 6th for a colon resection. We ask for prayers for a successful surgery, an uneventful full recovery, and a successful reentry to a life full of faith and music. This is for BP who now lives on the mainland.
1126AFC070111
Read it online here.
Aloha nui loa, ‘Ōmea! Much love to you Beloved! Today’s verse is another one from Proverbs. It is a sweet thought that has some deep implications. It is Proverbs 24:26:
An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips [from a true friend].
In this day and age, that can be dangerous ground to tread, especially if you don’t look a little deeper into what it all means. Is this something that can be linked to St. Paul’s message, “Greet one another with a holy kiss” in Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, and 1 Thessalonians 5:26? Sort of, but it is more along the lines of a greeting between two very good friends as in 2 Samuel 19:39 as between King David and his dear friend, Barzillai. The gray-haired old man had done great service to David – so much so that David wanted to take him to live with him a life of fame and honor in Jerusalem. Barzillai turned him down by basically saying, “I’m too old for that stuff. You go on ahead and have a great life.” David loved him for that unselfishness and kissed him as he prepared to cross the Jordan on his return to Jerusalem.
There is another example in Acts 20:37. Paul is with the church in Miletus with representatives of the Church of Ephesus. He has acknowledged being led by the Spirit to travel to Jerusalem. This was a momentous decision, and literally changed the course of church history. Paul has just told his dear friends that they will probably never see him again, and they are moved with deep sorrow as they bid him farewell with embraces and kisses.
A kiss is a token of affection. It can be one person to another person as mother to child, it can be a shared moment was we share a kiss as husband and wife, or it can be a sacred moment as in the Sign of Peace (the literal Kiss of Peace or Biblical Holy Kiss). A kiss from a friend, especially a deeply-loved friend, is different from all of these. It is a sign of affection, yes, but also a sign of deep respect and love. When your friend gives you a kiss, it is way different from the kiss you get from your mom or dad, your gramma or grampa, your auntie or uncle, or from any relative for that matter. It is also way different from the kiss you get from your spouse or your boyfriend/girlfriend, or your kids. A kiss from a friend is like a polite and affectionate closing to a beautiful letter. It is not out of character for the person or their relationship to you. It is just a perfect way to say, “You are so beautiful to me. I love you.”
God says that to us sometimes. I recall the story of a young priest we knew in Phoenix who told us about one of those experiences. He told us that when he was facing the decision to go to seminary, he felt unworthy, depressed, uncertain, and asked God to show him how to make his decision. Nothing happened. He decided to drive over to the athletic field to watch a softball game. As he sat there in his car, he continued to wrestle with his convictions and his doubts. It was no use. There was still no answer. Then, by impulse, he reached over and turned on the car radio, thinking it would help take his mind off this internal debate. Just as he reached for the switch on the radio he prayed, “OK, God. I get it. I’ll be still and wait on you. I’m just not sure I’m good enough for this, not sure I can do what you want, not sure if I’m even able to hear you if you do answer me.” The radio started up and the first thing he heard was God’s answer to his prayer. It was a song, and the words were, “You are so beautiful to me…” He instantly knew God not only heard him but also answered back, and that’s how he started the process of becoming Father Mark.
That was one sweet answer! For Fr. Mark it was like a kiss on the lips from God himself! It was – in today’s parlance – so sahhhh-WEET! It reverberated through his whole being. Here in Hawaii we’d say he got “chicken-skin” (goose-bumps). His heart skipped a beat. He knew with perfect clarity that God loved him because the answer was that intimate and correct. When your valued, dear, honest, and deeply-loved friend gives you a kiss like that, you just feel … BLESSED!! It’s not sexual (hetero-, homo-, or otherwise), it’s not worldly, it’s not even uncomfortable. Far from it in fact, because an honest Holy Kiss is a reminder of the powerful love of God. He became an earthling so he could plant a Holy Kiss on other earthlings.
And so we go back and look at this verse in Proverbs. It is not the act of giving or sharing a kiss that is the point of this verse. It’s about what it is like to receive a kiss like that. In the context of the era in which the verse was written (and right up until this very moment as you read these words) it has nothing to do with a kiss. If you ask a question and get a delightfully satisfactory answer, it’s like getting a kiss on the lips from a dear friend, from God even. It is sahhhh-WEET! So when you get an honest answer – from a friend, a lover, an advisor, a bank, a government agency, a spouse, a child, a pastor, from any person or institution – an honest answer is like a sweet kiss. It is a welcoming, intimate realization that The Truth has been presented to you as a gift. Gosh, I love that idea!
Of course, I also love the idea of a sweet kiss on the lips from a dear friend – even if it comes over the radio like it did for Father Mark. I remember one time in Kayenta (you’ve heard this story before) I was really disgusted with having to stay 120 miles away from the family and drive over two hours to get home Friday night and then leave before sun-up to get back before work Monday morning. I asked God “What do you want me to do here?!?!” And God’s quiet answer was “Live here!” Oh, yeah, no? That was such a sweet kiss – maybe it felt like a kick in the head at the time, but now I remember it as a Kiss.
So, Beloved, think about that the next time you hear a dishonest answer, and go out of your way to give an honest answer, an honest appraisal, and always an honest Holy Kiss.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved! Pucker up! God may be waiting to plant one on you, too! And think about this: How much do you think God would enjoy a kiss on the lips from you?!?!?
Who-o-o-a-a-ah, DUDE! Chicken-skin!!
Share-A-Prayer
A former parishioner from our St. Catherine’s Parish here in Kapaa is going in on July 6th for a colon resection. We ask for prayers for a successful surgery, an uneventful full recovery, and a successful reentry to a life full of faith and music. This is for BP who now lives on the mainland.
About Chick Todd
American Roman Catholic reared as a "Baptiterian" in Denver Colorado. Now living on Kauaʻi. USAF Vet. Married for over 50 years. Scripture study has been my passion ever since my first "Bible talk" at age 6 in VBS.
