a clever name for a clever peace

"You may now exchange . . . sign . . . peace . . ." his broken English trails off into a nasally mumble. I look up from inspecting my cuticles to catch hundreds of seniors, heads jerking, eyes searching frantically for another hand to shake. Between the excitement and smiles the ancient fanatics can't seem to hold back, it feels like some sort of game; a game not even the oldest and wisest of us can resist. "Peace be with you," - handshake. The whispers begin to swell and soon the entire church is crowded with false implication. But surely, just as soon as it began, it slows to a stop. The decorated room falls back into its silent contemplation, and the smiles on the faces of the people, the young and the old, fade with their words, already forgotten.