Hello
HELLO
“Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ Greet you.” Romans 16:16 NKJV
Hello in the English is the way I greet others, but it’s not the only way to say it. In Spanish its Hola. It is Konnichiwa in Japanese. Bonjour in French. Shalom in Hebrew. And Jambo in Swahili. Did you know that greeting can vary depending on familiarity and culture.
There are plenty of physical ways to say hello too.
Handshakes are common in America, Europe, and many parts of Asia and the Middle East. It’s also popular greeting in Ethiopia.
Bowing is a common practice in many parts of the world with Japan often being the most common. Other places are Thailand, Cambodia, and India.
Another greeting is with a kiss. Cheek kissing is widely another widely known way to say hello, particularly among the French. It is a classic way to greet friends.
In Romans 16:16, the apostle Paul issues a directive to greet one another with a holy kiss. This isn’t romance, instead it is loving, holy, and sacred. This was also a common form of greeting among family and close friends, symbolized love, brotherly love, and fellowship.
All these things point to God himself, who by his grace offered us his hello and loving kindness going back to the beginning of time. How about this as a thought as it relates to the word, HELLO.
“To change a life, you don’t need to do anything grand. Sometimes all you have to do is just say, Hello. And don’t forget to smile.” Amen.
Remember friends, we are each other’s keeper and the only time we should be looking down on someone is when we are helping them up.
