Greeting is important not just within our own church family, but wider—there are times when we hear of other Christians elsewhere, and we send our greetings to them in the same way the apostle Paul does here in Romans 16.
But also, there needs to be a greeting of one another within our church family. Did we say hello to each other today? You might think I’m being silly for going on about this, but we’ve got to do it. Say hello to each other.
Some parents don’t teach their children to do this, so this is something we’re working on with our youngest at the moment: “Say hello!” And if someone says “How are you?” You’ve got to say, ‘Fine, thank you.’” (We’ve not got very far!)
But there are some adults who haven’t learned this. They just walk into a room and don’t say anything.
Or someone they know walks past them in town, and they don’t stop and talk, and they don’t explain that they’re in a rush if they’re in a rush.
We’ve lost the art of greeting! Only the Holy Spirit can bring it back, with the fruit of love and joy he brings.
