XO

Signing letters with X's and O's was once very common, until no one was writing letters anymore. Now, suddenly, they're back in e-mails and texts. What does this mean?

Back in the first century, Paul and Timothy wrote a letter to the Christians in Colossae, a town in Asia Minor. We thank God for you, they said, "for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints" (Colossians 1:4). They rejoiced that their mutual friend Epaphras "has made known to us your love in the Spirit" (vv. 7-8).

Love for all the saints.

Love in the Spirit.

A letter full of love. You almost expect their letter to end with a string of X's and O's.

If Paul and Timothy were writing today, you might see this kind of farewell. Although our grandmothers used to add below their signatures a few X's and O's back in the day, the use of XO in e-mail has exploded in recent years. Amanda McCall, a comedy writer in New York, recently had a phone call with a producer in Los Angeles. It was a professional conversation in which the two chatted about a project and made plans to talk again.

The next day, McCall received an e-mail from the producer. The woman...