A kiss is sacred. We don’t just kiss anyone. And it’s intimate. We bring our vulnerable body and soul in contact with another. And, in this way, kissing is a deeply human and embodied way to mark love: to bless, to welcome, to unite, and to say goodbye. But the joy of our first kiss eventually gives way to the grief of our last, as our bodies express our deep love through this sacred touch one last time.
Perhaps we still remember the first time we kissed our wife, or our children when they were first born. We might also have friends or brothers in Christ in which we share a holy kiss or embrace that’s just as sacred in its own right. Whatever it looks like, these are special moments of using our bodies to bless and affirm the love we have for each other in a way that’s both intimate and holy.
In our daily life together these gestures might become routine or otherwise unremarkable; it’s just what we do. But they’re deposits of love with a cumulative effect all the same. And this becomes undeniable when we must say our final goodbyes in this life. Even once the spirit has left the body, we often still feel compelled to offer one last kiss, one last touch – a way to honor our love and bless the body that allowed us to experience its warmth.
But while our bodies say goodbye, our souls know the secret of eternity and the power of love that never fails, transcending even the grave. And so that final kiss in this life is a kiss of hope – knowing one day we will be reunited in bodies that no longer die or decay.
And so let your every kiss from first to last be a testament of faith, hope, and love – a remembrance and a rehearsal that honors the gift of life now and prepares you for the day when every tear will be wiped away.
