Finding ways to share the peace in all the panic on Owatonna

“The Peace of the Lord be with you all.” “And also with you.” These words or something very similar will be spoken throughout many of our churches in our time of worship this weekend. Or will they? Due to the media-driven fear frenzy regarding the H1N1 virus I was not surprised to find, online anyway, that there are churches who have not only deleted this practice from their worship altogether but have also ceased to offer the bread and/or wine of Holy Communion.
Some even have gone so far as to order individually wrapped communion wafers and individual mini-juice packets to continue this sacrament with a “clean” conscience. But I digress.
Just what is the “sharing of the peace?” In Romans 16:16, members of the congregation are encouraged to greet one another “with a holy kiss.” The first letter of Peter ends, “Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”
(1 Peter 5:14)

New Testament references like these point to the origins of the greeting of peace we practice today. A kiss is a common greeting among friends in the Mediterranean world where Christianity was born. Many of us in the great Midwest would say that it is a chance for me to greet my neighbor with a hug or a handshake and perhaps sneak in a short chat. Some would say it is a forced, awkward communication with people I am worshipping with. But when you get right down to it, it’s a little closer to your pastor saying, “Now go over there and say you’re sorry.”
That’s right. The place of sharing the peace in the service responds to Jesus’ command in Matthew 5:23-24, “when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come quickly and offer your gift.”
Seen in context, it is clear that the exchange of Christ’s peace is much more than a time for saying “Good morning,” or for commenting on a neighbor’s new outfit, or for reminding someone about next week’s meeting. It is, rather a time to set aside our human differences and to recognize and enact our baptismal unity as children of God. This being said, it is a natural act to reach out to someone who has extended their hand in a house of worship in recognition of our unity as brothers and sisters in Christ.
All the conversations around the need for better hygiene practices because of the H1N1 flu virus should apply to every week in worship and every day of our lives. The common cold and strains of flu are always circulating. So, wash your hands, take reasonable precautions, make sure you have tissues handy, cough into your sleeve and don’t panic.
Let us be in prayer for all those who have suffered, are suffering, and who will suffer from the H1N1 flu. While it will also cause tragic deaths, it joins many other causes of tragic death. Let us also keep praying for the hundreds of millions of people around the world suffering and many dying from other infectious diseases such as malaria, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, to name a few.
The Peace of the Lord be with you always.

The Rev. Julie Malone is pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church of Owatonna.

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