Embracing Connection: The Power of Meaningful Interactions

 

Summary

In today's discussion, we explored the biblical command to "greet one another with a holy kiss," a practice that emphasizes the importance of connection and affection within the community. This command, found in the New Testament, was intended to build a culture of connection and warmth among believers. In our modern context, we often find ourselves isolated, even when physically present with others, due to the pervasive influence of technology and social media. This isolation can be detrimental to our well-being, as we are inherently social beings created in the image of a relational God.

The act of greeting one another warmly, whether through a handshake, a hug, or a simple conversation, is a reflection of God's nature. God, who exists in community as Father, Son, and Spirit, desires for us to experience the life-giving power of connection. Jesus himself modeled this in his interactions, as seen in the story from Luke 7, where he noted the absence of a customary greeting kiss. This highlights the importance of intentional, meaningful interactions.

Research by Nicholas Eppley and insights from David Brooks reveal that we often underestimate the joy and fulfillment that come from engaging with others. Many of us avoid social interactions due to fear of awkwardness or rejection, yet studies show that both introverts and extroverts find greater enjoyment and purpose when they connect with others. We are called to overcome our "under sociality" and embrace the opportunities for connection that God places in our path.

Ultimately, our interactions should be infused with holiness, inviting God to use our gestures and words to bless others. In doing so, we reflect the incarnational nature of God, who came close to us in Jesus. By being present and attentive to those around us, we can combat the loneliness and disconnectedness that plague our society. Let us strive to be geniuses at the close at hand, recognizing the divine potential in every encounter.

Key Takeaways:

- The biblical command to "greet one another with a holy kiss" emphasizes the importance of building a culture of connection and affection within the community. This practice reflects God's relational nature and invites us to be intentional in our interactions. [01:37]

- Isolation and disconnectedness are prevalent in our society, often exacerbated by technology. We are called to counteract this by engaging in meaningful conversations and interactions, which bring life and joy to both ourselves and others. [02:00]

- Research shows that we often underestimate the positive impact of social interactions. Engaging with others, even strangers, can lead to greater happiness and fulfillment, challenging our preconceived notions of social encounters. [04:24]

- Our interactions should be infused with holiness, inviting God to use our gestures and words to bless others. This reflects the incarnational nature of God, who came close to us in Jesus, and calls us to be present and attentive to those around us. [08:23]

- By being geniuses at the close at hand, we can combat loneliness and disconnectedness. Recognizing the divine potential in every encounter allows us to reflect God's love and bring life to our communities. [09:05]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:31] - Biblical Command for a Holy Kiss
- [00:59] - Cultural Practices of Affection
- [01:37] - Building a Culture of Connection
- [02:00] - The Impact of Isolation
- [02:22] - The Role of Words in Connection
- [03:08] - Encouragement to Engage
- [03:33] - Research on Social Interactions
- [04:24] - Misconceptions About Social Encounters
- [05:04] - Underestimating Positive Responses
- [06:12] - Overcoming Social Anxiety
- [07:09] - Assessing Warmth in Interactions
- [07:41] - God's Relational Nature
- [08:23] - Infusing Interactions with Holiness
- [09:05] - The Genius of the Close at Hand

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Romans 16:16 - "Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings."
2. Luke 7:44-46 - "Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.'"

Observation Questions:
1. What cultural practice is Paul referring to in Romans 16:16, and how does it relate to the theme of connection in the sermon? [00:31]
2. In Luke 7:44-46, what does Jesus highlight about the woman's actions compared to the host's lack of a greeting kiss? [07:57]
3. How does the sermon describe the impact of technology on our social interactions and sense of connection? [02:00]
4. What are some reasons mentioned in the sermon for why people avoid social interactions, and how do these reasons affect our well-being? [03:47]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the biblical command to "greet one another with a holy kiss" reflect God's relational nature, and what does this imply for our interactions today? [01:37]
2. In what ways does the story from Luke 7 illustrate the importance of intentional and meaningful interactions in our lives? [07:57]
3. How might the research by Nicholas Eppley and insights from David Brooks challenge our preconceived notions about social encounters? [04:24]
4. What does it mean to infuse our interactions with holiness, and how can this practice reflect the incarnational nature of God? [08:23]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current social interactions. Are there specific relationships where you feel disconnected? What steps can you take to build a culture of connection and affection in those relationships? [01:37]
2. Consider the role of technology in your life. How might it be contributing to feelings of isolation, and what practical changes can you make to foster more meaningful connections? [02:00]
3. Think about a recent opportunity you had to engage with someone but chose not to. What held you back, and how can you overcome similar barriers in the future? [03:47]
4. Identify a person in your life who might be feeling lonely or disconnected. How can you intentionally reach out to them this week to show care and warmth? [07:09]
5. Reflect on a time when you underestimated the joy of a social interaction. How can you remind yourself of the potential positive outcomes of engaging with others? [04:24]
6. How can you invite God into your daily interactions, asking Him to use your gestures and words to bless others? What might this look like in your everyday life? [08:23]
7. Consider the concept of being a "genius at the close at hand." What small, intentional actions can you take this week to recognize and respond to the divine potential in your encounters with others? [09:05]

Devotional

Day 1: Building a Culture of Connection
In a world where technology often isolates us, the biblical command to "greet one another with a holy kiss" serves as a reminder of the importance of fostering genuine connections within our communities. This practice, rooted in the New Testament, reflects God's relational nature and calls us to be intentional in our interactions. By engaging warmly with others, whether through a handshake, a hug, or a simple conversation, we mirror the community that God embodies as Father, Son, and Spirit. This intentionality in our interactions can help us overcome the barriers of isolation and build a culture of connection and affection. [01:37]

"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." (Romans 12:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your community can you reach out to today to foster a deeper connection? How can you intentionally show them warmth and affection?


Day 2: The Impact of Isolation
Isolation and disconnectedness are prevalent issues in our society, often exacerbated by the pervasive influence of technology and social media. Despite being physically present with others, we can still feel isolated, which can be detrimental to our well-being. As social beings created in the image of a relational God, we are called to counteract this by engaging in meaningful conversations and interactions. These interactions bring life and joy to both ourselves and others, helping us to combat the loneliness that plagues our society. [02:00]

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: What is one way you can reduce your reliance on technology today to foster more meaningful face-to-face interactions?


Day 3: Misconceptions About Social Encounters
Research shows that we often underestimate the positive impact of social interactions. Engaging with others, even strangers, can lead to greater happiness and fulfillment, challenging our preconceived notions of social encounters. Many of us avoid social interactions due to fear of awkwardness or rejection, yet studies reveal that both introverts and extroverts find greater enjoyment and purpose when they connect with others. We are called to overcome our "under sociality" and embrace the opportunities for connection that God places in our path. [04:24]

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." (Hebrews 13:2, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a recent opportunity you had to engage with someone new. How can you approach similar opportunities in the future with openness and expectation of positive outcomes?


Day 4: Infusing Interactions with Holiness
Our interactions should be infused with holiness, inviting God to use our gestures and words to bless others. This reflects the incarnational nature of God, who came close to us in Jesus, and calls us to be present and attentive to those around us. By being intentional in our interactions, we can reflect God's love and bring life to our communities. This approach not only enriches our own lives but also has the potential to transform the lives of those we encounter. [08:23]

"Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." (Colossians 4:6, ESV)

Reflection: How can you intentionally infuse your interactions today with holiness and grace, allowing God to work through you to bless others?


Day 5: The Genius of the Close at Hand
By being geniuses at the close at hand, we can combat loneliness and disconnectedness. Recognizing the divine potential in every encounter allows us to reflect God's love and bring life to our communities. This means being present and attentive to those around us, seeing each interaction as an opportunity to demonstrate God's love. In doing so, we not only enrich our own lives but also contribute to building a more connected and loving community. [09:05]

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your immediate surroundings can you encourage today? How can you be more present and attentive to the divine potential in your daily encounters?

Quotes


Now the reason that in the new testament we're commanded to greet each other with a holy kiss was because they were building a culture of connection and affection, and it turns out that the way that we greet each other, the way that we look at each other talking with each other actually gives us life and isolating disconnecting from other people kills us. We are living at a time of isolation and disconnectedness. [00:01:32]

Where words are absence, connection does not happen, and love and encouragement and goodness do not take place between people. So we're commanded to have a different kind of culture. If you want to net out what I'm going to say today, it's just simply this: talk to people. Talk to somebody you are not planning on talking to. [00:02:52]

Nicholas very aware of the fact that when we connect with other people we are happier, we are healthier, we have a greater sense of purpose and yet we don't do it and the reason is very often we tell ourselves that these connections will be difficult, awkward, not very fun. [00:03:33]

Most of us are systematically mistaken about how much we will enjoy a social encounter. Commuters expect to have less pleasant rides if they try to strike up a conversation with a stranger, but their actual experience was precisely the opposite. People randomly assigned to talk with a stranger enjoyed their trips consistently more than people who just kept to themselves. [00:04:14]

It turns out that people underestimate how positively others will respond when they reach out to express support. People consistently underestimate how much they are going to learn if they enter into conversations with other people. Brooks writes, people also underestimate how they would enjoy longer conversations with new acquaintances. [00:05:04]

We are an extremely social species, but many of us suffer from what Eppley calls under sociality. We see the world in anxiety drenched ways that causes us to avoid situations where we would end up in contact with other people and it really is destroying us. [00:06:02]

However, it turns out that when people talk with you, when you initiate conversation with them, they are not primarily assessing you for intelligence or social competence. Mostly we are assessing each other for warmth. We're just wondering, are you interested in me, do you care about me, and when we receive that from another person it brings us to life. [00:06:49]

God in Jesus put on flesh. It's interesting in Luke 7 there's a story of Jesus with a woman that was a sinful woman who pours out her affection to him and Jesus says to the host of the dinner there when I came in you did not greet me with a kiss in that ancient culture, a kiss was a customary way of greeting. [00:07:46]

In the New Testament it says to make it holy that is to invite God into it, to ask God would you use this gesture to pour out blessings into the lives of another person. People just want to know that you care. [00:08:18]

My general view is the fate of America, maybe even the world, will be importantly determined by how we treat each other in the smallest acts of daily life. This means being a genius at the close at hand, greeting a stranger, detecting anxiety in somebody's voice, and asking them what's wrong, knowing how to talk across differences, not being too busy to be interrupted. [00:09:15]

The genius of the close at hand in theological terms is called incarnation. Our God is not a distant God but a God who wanted to get up close and personal and came in the flesh. [00:09:56]

Wherever you are it will bring life to you if you connect with other people. You were made to count and we do that in the smallest ways. [00:10:43]

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Transcript
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