Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.’ So when he came, he went up to him at once and said, ‘Rabbi!’ and kissed him. Then they laid hands on him and arrested him. (Mark 14: 43-46)

The Gospel of Luke adds a response by Jesus, "Judas, would you turn in the son of Adam with a kiss?" (Luke 22: 48). Matthew has him say, "Look friend, what are you doing here?" In John the crowd is brought to the garden by Judas, but he does not identify Jesus.

The kiss is traditionally understood as a final deceit. I am not so sure. For a few the kiss is seen as evidence that Jesus and Judas were engaged in a common undertaking. I am not ready to go so far. Conspiracy does not easily fit with my experience of Jesus.

In my experience love and betrayal are not exclusive. They can coexist. It is, in fact, the coexistence that makes possible betrayal. Do we "betray" our enemies? No, we betray those whom we love, those with whom we are in relationship.

Betrayal is not necessarily evidence that love is absent. It is evidence of a conflict. Even if Judas loves Jesus, his love is distracted by other commitments, desires, and goals. The love is not - yet - whole. Love often breaks apart before it brings together.

Betrayal is often evidence of an effort to resolve the conflict. It is often an effort to impose a resolution on a relationship. But that is not how love works. Wholeness is not imposed. Wholeness is nurtured through mutuality, blending, and deference.