Proverbs 24:26

‘An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips. ‘ 

I’ll never forget my first kiss, my first real kiss. I’m not talking about the kiss in third grade that yielded a slap across my face, or the kiss of my parents. I’m talking about that kiss when I was a freshman in high school, the one that in a split second moved mountains. Like a rocket ship I blasted off into outer space and my entire reality was tingling with electricity. It’s a feeling I chased for many years and wouldn’t experience again until my second first kiss; that of my wife. I can’t put into words what happened the moment our lips met, sitting side by side, having lunch in an English pub in Boca Raton. All I can say is, at that moment I fell in love. It was like hundreds of hours of conversations had taken place, mountains climbed, and valleys trudged through, all wrapped up in a three second kiss. The joy, trust and respect that resulted from that kiss is still present in our marriage today. When I look at my wife through eyes of love, I see her as the woman sitting next to me in that booth all those years ago. And with each loving kiss, a spark of that feeling, rises inside of me almost every time. Powerful. 

Without words kisses foster trust, respect and intimacy. Look at cultures around the world, outside of ours of course, and you will find engrained in cultures where casual meetups are often kicked off with a hug, eye contact and a kissing of both cheeks. They are an invitation to encroach on our personal space, a sign of trust, even to those considered friends or even just an acquaintance. Honesty, consistently, in all things, is similar to a kiss. As an honest person’s lips begin to move, the same lips they use to kiss, they pull you into their hearts—an act of intimacy, trust, and respect, much like the physical act of kissing. While looking into their eyes, listening to their words, a picture of their soul begins to form in our minds, especially if a hard truth is being spoken.  

Speaking a hard truth is either a person letting down their guard, or an act of righteousness, both are acts of vulnerability, opening themselves to attack or judgement. This single act of honesty, like a kiss, builds trust and respect. Living in today’s self-focused world, honesty and greeting one another with a kiss has taken a back seat. It’s just easier to whitewash the truth and protect ourselves from germs, our personal space is personal after all; right? The truth is, we are called to reflect Jesus to embody His life. That call requires us to lead with love in all that we do, whether a kiss or truth, righteous or otherwise. The issue becomes, when we choose to withhold truth, we allow darkness to enter us. This darkness, even little white lies is sin and that disconnects us from God. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, who died for our sins, we were given a new life and are born again. Upon his entrance to heaven, we were gifted the Holy Spirit, the Great Counselor, through which Jesus dwells within us. Abide in Him, He is the Truth and His Way is narrow, but the path is straight. John 8:32 ‘Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 

Embracing honesty and leading with love reflects Jesus’ teachings. Discover more in Living Righteously  and Walking in Truth.