You touch me? Years ago I attended a political rally with a young friend interested in politics. We witnessed a rousing speech and a close-knit crowd celebrating the candidate's promise of victory. Everyone was shaking hands, hugging at close crowd quarters. As the bus pulled away, my friend noted his youth club's "no touch policy," which prohibits showing emotion through touch, contrasting with the rally's warmth.
Think about it. It struck me how hard it would be for me personally to remove all the hugs that I’ve ever given to friends or to the sorrowful in need. If we succeed in removing all intimacy from our social relationships, how strong can those relationships really be?
God’s Word: “There is a time to throw away stones and a time to gather them. There is a time to hug and a time not to hug( Ecclesiastes 3:5).”
Does keeping our relationships fresh and fulfilling exclude touch? In a society fearful of touch, it seems so. The Bible says, "a time to embrace and a time to refrain" (Ecclesiastes 3:5). Could God be grieved when we refrain from touching one another? By removing intimacy, do we lose the surest way of knowing our friends?
We pray. “Heavenly Father, guide us to embrace the power of touch in our relationships. Help us to understand when to extend it, reflecting Your love. May we overcome fears that distance us and build connections that are fresh and fulfilling. Bless our interactions with Your grace. In Jesus name. Amen.”
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34)
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