Passing the peace: How peaceful is it?



(Farewell of Saints Peter and Paul)

During many church services, there comes an interlude that is commonly referred to as “passing the peace.”  Depending upon whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, that moment can be heaven on earth – or quite the opposite.

According to Wikipedia, the passing of the peace is an extension

of the “holy kiss” that is mentioned in the Bible numerous times. 

Romans 16:16, I Peter 5:14, I Thessalonians 5:26, I Corinthians 16:20, and II Corinthians 13:12 all speak of greeting one another

with either a “holy kiss” or a “kiss of love.”  It was the custom in

ancient Judea, as well as in the ancient western Mediterranean, for

males to greet one another with a kiss on the cheek.  In one of his

Easter sermons, St. Augustine referred to the holy kiss as one of

the “great and powerful sacraments” - and advised that your heart

not be withdrawn from your brother’s when your “lips draw near”

to his.

The saying “Peace be with you” most likely originated from the

Hebrew phrase “shalom aleichim” (which literally means “peace be upon you”).  The Hebrew response to that would be “aleichim shalom” (“upon you be peace”).  This greeting is most often used by Ashkenazi Jews, and is used in the plural form even when addressing only one person.  Some think that the plural is used to address both body and soul; others refer back to the Hebrew Bible usage of the plural word Elohim (literally “gods”) to denote the name of God.

Today’s English-speaking cultures prefer passing the peace by shaking hands rather than kissing.  The biblical verse that is sometimes quoted in accordance with this is Galatians 2:9:  James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars. gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized

the grace given to me (NIV).  Sometimes a hug is substituted for the handshake between those more familiar with one another.

Unfortunately, the “passing of the peace” has often become anything but peaceful.  People scatter here and there, trying to quickly catch up on their worldly connections.  Somehow the following intention becomes lost in the social shuffle:  At the passing of the peace we should earnestly desire God’s peace upon each person we greet.  The passing of the peace is also a sign of obedience to Jesus’ words that we make peace with one another before offering our gifts at the altar (Matt. 5:23-24).   

Resources

http://franciscan-anglican.com/peace.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiss_of_peace

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shalom_aleichem

http://www.thelutheran.org/article/article.cfm?article_id=7076&key=50069774

Copyright September 21, 2011 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved