A handshake is a covenant—a promise between two people to hold to an agreement. It is an expression of trust between two people who might not even be friends, but who know that meeting in good faith is the basis for any relationship.
Who are you in covenant with, although you do not know them well?
I am in covenant with an unlikely acquaintance. His name is H Flowers and he is a retired, light skinned Black man who grew up in Mississippi and gravitated to Chicago, then became a teacher of music in public schools there as well as in Central Missouri. He and his wife. also a teacher, have traveled to Europe several times and H. is especially interested in Central and South American culture and language. We met at a party at a mutual friends’ home and hit it off right away. Now we conduct a casual Spanish Language class together. in addition, we have found that he and J., his wife and I are in the same Tai Chi class. I am a middle class White former teacher and librarian, now retired, but spent two years in Peru in the Peace Corps, which broadened my understanding of diverse cultures, I feel sure that H. and I both sense that we have a mutual sense of understanding that ranges from our shared interests to one of just liking each other.