Peter writes, “Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you that are in Christ” (1 Pet. 5:14). By connecting the kiss with the peace of God, Peter points to the meaning that early Christians attached to this practice: since Christ has reconciled us to God the Father, we are also reconciled to each other. . . . Passing the peace in worship directs our attention back to the early Christian message. It is an experience that demonstrates the community of God’s people and prepares the body to move into a more intimate relationship with Christ as the Table.
-Robert Webber, Worship Is a Verb: Celebrating God’s Mighty Deeds of Salvation, Second Edition (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996), 50.