8 Let me hear what the Lord God says,
because he speaks peace to his people and to his faithful ones.
Don’t let them return to foolish ways.
9 God’s salvation is very close to those who honor him
so that his glory can live in our land.
10 Faithful love and truth have met;
righteousness and peace have kissed.
11 Truth springs up from the ground;
righteousness gazes down from heaven.
12 Yes, the Lord gives what is good,
and our land yields its produce.
13 Righteousness walks before God,
making a road for his steps.
Reflection
“Faithful love and truth have met; righteousness and peace have kissed.”
There are many beautiful lines of scripture, but this one is among my absolute favorites. So much so that every year on Christmas Eve, I find myself reaching for a similar image in the pastoral prayer: “Heaven and earth have kissed on this holy night.”
Maybe I’m just a romantic, but I’m drawn to this vision of wholeness. When things are right with the world, when our words and actions align, when what is righteous is also loving, when the path of truth converges with the path of peace, it feels less like a checklist and more like an embrace. Scripture dares to say that such moments are not cold or clinical. They are tender. They are intimate. They are a kiss.
Psalm 85 reminds us that God does not call us to pursue goodness in fragments. Truth, peace, love, and justice are not meant to be siloed virtues, negotiated separately or achieved on different timelines. They belong together. They are woven from the same threads to create a single tapestry of faithfulness. When lived fully, our values do not compete with one another; they cooperate. They create something beautiful, a living garment of care for creation and compassion for all people.
Of course, this does not mean the work is neat or painless. Anyone who remembers an awkward first kiss knows that closeness can be clumsy. There are times when love and truth feel like they are pulling in opposite directions, and when no choice seems capable of satisfying everyone. Even when we act with integrity, someone may feel hurt. Sometimes that hurt is easy for us to understand. Other times, it remains a mystery beyond our ability to explain or repair.
Still, Psalm 85 invites us not to abandon the vision, but to trust it. To keep listening. To keep walking toward the place where love does not compromise truth, and truth does not abandon peace. God’s promise is not that the way will be simple, but that faithfulness will bear fruit – that righteousness will go before us, and peace will follow in its footsteps.
The kiss is not the end of the story. It is the sign that God is already at work, drawing heaven and earth closer than we imagine.
by Joe Monahan
For Pondering and Prayer
Where in your life are you trying to do the right thing while also caring deeply for the people involved? What is the next faithful step God is inviting you to take?
Prayer: Faithful God, we listen for your voice in the midst of complicated choices. Where truth feels difficult and love feels fragile, draw them together within us. Give us courage to speak honestly, patience to act gently, and humility to take the next faithful step. Let righteousness go before us, and peace follow close behind. Amen.
