The Kiss of Peace

Many young people are embarrassed when they see their parents exhibiting what they term “PDA”—public displays of affection. However, I believe that secretly they are pleased at this demonstration of love, because it provides a sense of security. My own parents didn’t display much overt affection, but I do remember that when my dad came home from work every night at 6 pm, the first thing he did was stop in the kitchen, put down his coffee thermos, and kiss my mom. I never had any doubt about my parents’ love for each other; a divorce would have been outside the realm of possibility and was not something I ever had to worry about.

Good marriages and other loving relationships echo the way Jesus and his Father relate to each other. As Jesus says in today’s Gospel reading (Jn 16:29-33), “I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.” We are able to rest in the love generated between the three persons of the Trinity, which gives us a peace that the world cannot take away. Furthermore, we not merely witnesses to that love but are invited to share in it, giving us a sense of belonging and joy.

Jesus himself said, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” This love was demonstrated by the early Christian community, as noted by the writer Tertullian, who quoted a pagan official as saying, “Look at how much they love each other!” Thus we who rest in the love of Creator, Christ, and Spirit are all challenged to engage in PDAs—the affection that leads us to nourish and support each other, stand up for persons who are mistreated, and provide the healing presence that we experience in the Trinity to others who need it.