Greetings

DEVOTION

1 CORINTHIANS

GREETINGS

1 Cor 16:19-21

19 The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house. 20 All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. 21 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand.

NIV

More personal notes, that at first glance appear just that and at times we might wonder why all this included as God breathed for our instruction or correction. It is interesting how they all got alone, sending greetings, warm greetings to each other even though they may be miles and cultures apart. We at least know they were all one denomination, even though there was no such thing as denominations. There was a sense of complete unity among all the believers. Of course they were all new to this kind of faith in a savior that died for them, and who was raised from the dead and then ascended in bodily form into heaven. There was a certain sense of excitement, a sense of expectation, a sense of relief from the pain of death. They were few among so many pagans, they had to stick together, yet they were bold in telling the story, trying with all their being to bring others with them. Still it surely seems they were all in unity, loving one another, greeting each other with a holy kiss. Shouldn’t we take a lesson from this? Sometimes it seems we almost detest those of another denomination. Sometimes it seems we think we are the only ones who get it right, and they are off base and therefore not even saved. Sometimes it seems like we argue over the dumbest things, and would never consider sending those warm greetings, much less greet them with a holy kiss. Sometimes it appears we would rather focus on that which we can divide ourselves with, instead on what will bring us together. Do we actually love all the brothers and sisters in the Lord not matter which church they attend, or what culture they are a part of? Do we even know they exist? Is there ever any communication between us? Are they any part of our life at all? It seems in a world where communication was so difficult, they managed to be a apart of the others faith and life. Today in our great ease of communication we might well be isolating ourselves within the four walls of our own little clichés. Maybe it is time to get outside, to get outside our walls, of church, of self. This may be a hard lesson to learn, to execute, greetings.