In the past few weeks I have been watching the TV show Seventh Heaven a lot, probably more then I should. This show intrigues me on many levels because it tells the story of a minister and his family as the go through many of life’s struggles. Those watching the show see the Camden family go through many of the problems that we experience in our own lives and gives us the opportunity to reflect on those experiences and how we addressed these issues, or how we could address these issues if we experience them. Many topics are discussed in the show, from drugs and alcohol, to marriage and divorce. I would like to focus on one topic which the show does talk about, but the way they discuss this topic needs addressing.
Many of the episodes feature one or more of the Camden kids going out on a date with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Most of these dates result in kissing, even when the date is with someone whom the Camden kid has just met. Eric and Annie, the Camden parents, try to make their children realize that kissing someone you just met is wrong, but they promote kissing as a safe way for their kids to express their feelings for their dates.
In the context of the various relationships the Camden children have a number of the episodes address the issue of sex and Annie and Eric are very clear that sex before marriage is wrong. However, in their discussion with their children on topics surrounding sex the Camden parents frequently say such things as “as along as you are just kissing.” Phrases like this, “just kissing,” minimize the value of a kiss and make it seem harmless. I would like to reflect on what a kiss means.
We should ask ourselves; what is a kiss? what does a kiss mean? Is a kiss “just a kiss” or is it something more? Reflecting on these question can help us to look more closely at the topic of kissing and come to conclusions about the meaning and value of a kiss.
There are many types of kisses which reflect many types of love. A kiss on the hand is a sign of respect for a woman. A kiss on the cheek is a sign of love between family members. A kisses on the neck and lips are signs of love between couples and spouses. These kisses may have different meanings to different people, but they all are expressions of some form of love. As an expression of love, kisses are complex and must be respected.
Each kiss can have a range of meanings, but the fact is that each kiss has a meaning. No kiss is meaningless, or “just a kiss”. A kiss is always something special. Trivializing a kiss, like the Camdens do in Seventh Heaven, is, I think, an unfortunate reality in our world. Whether we are aware of it or not each kiss has a special meaning. We need to reflect on what kisses mean and we need to rediscover the value of a kiss.
Just remember; a kiss is never “just” a kiss.
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