The Hour of the Power of Darkness

The kiss, a simple yet profound gesture, carries with it the weight of deep emotion—love, affection, sorrow, or betrayal. From a father’s tender kiss to his child at bedtime, to the rekindled affection between partners after a quarrel, the act of kissing binds us in moments of connection. In the Greek language of the New Testament, the verb for “to love” (phileò) is the same as the verb for “to kiss,” underscoring the intimate relationship between love and this act of affection. Yet, as with all symbols of love, a kiss can also be twisted into something dark. Judas’s kiss in the Garden of Gethsemane stands as one of the most tragic examples in history—where the act of love became the signal for betrayal, leading Jesus to His death.