Genesis is the kissingest book in the Bible. Isaac kisses Jacob when he comes in disguised as Esau, Jacob kisses Rachel when he arrives in Haran , and then Laban turns around and kisses Jacob. When Jacob returns from Laban’s, Esau runs to give him a hairy kiss, and when Joseph meets his brothers, he kisses them. Joseph brings his sons to Jacob so their grandfather can kiss them from his deathbed, and Joseph kisses and weeps over his dying father.

Most of the kisses in Genesis are not, like the kisses in the Song of Songs, erotic or romantic. They are familial. People kiss to welcome brothers, sons, sisters, fathers. Kissing is a sign of kinship.

In a number of places in Genesis, a kiss welcomes an estranged brother. Fourteen years before, Esau drove Jacob from the land because he wanted to kill him. But when he returns he can’t wait to kiss him. Joseph’s kiss to his brothers is a sign he has forgiven them. It was a kiss of peace.

Every Lord’s day before the Eucharist, we exchange peace, embrace one another, and greet one another with a holy kiss. This isn’t chat time, and it isn’t just a formality. By this rite, we show that we are a family, ready to sit at the family table spread by our Father and hosted by Jesus, our elder brother. By this rite, we show that through Jesus we are reconciled with estranged brothers.