As a family member returns home, we might hug him or her, and we might also kiss.
When we’re making a new acquaintance, we often shake hands. At the bedside of a sick friend or relative, we might kiss them on the forehead while surreptitiously checking for fever.
In each case above, there is this unspoken interaction that sets the tone for some type of “touching” based on the relationship between the parties.
Looking deeper into the encounters above, we see that the type of touch causes us to sense even more about the connection between the participants.
For instance, when the family member comes home and there is a slight embrace and a peck on the cheek, the next words might be, “What’s for supper?”
Perhaps indicating one partner’s priority.
Or instead, there might be a bear hug, with a warm kiss, signaling, “Wow, am I glad to see you!”
When shaking hands with someone new, we often make judgments about the person depending on his or her grip.
A firm handshake may lead us to believe the person is confident and self-assured.
A weak handshake can be considered a sign of lack of confidence and drive. A cold, sweaty handshake might cause us to perceive a weakness such as guilt.
Finally, in the case of our sick, bedridden friend, obviously our attention to their body warmth indicates our concern for their well being.
There are some important aspects of touch that emphasize why we should seek to give and to receive it.
Touch is such an integral part of human emotion.
It can bring us peace, happiness, pain, and sorrow among other emotions. It can contribute to survival even to the extent of being a key factor in whether we live or die.
A lack of touch can cause a child to have trouble developing meaningful relationships later in life.
The reason massages have such therapeutic value is because of the stress reduction brought about by physical touch.
Some neonatal intensive care units even use touch to relieve infant’s stress. The sharing of touch can also lead to human bonding which also “touches” our hearts.
All of this points to the fact that touch is a multi-faceted sense, with many consequences and we have the ability to use it for good or otherwise.
In Matthew 14:35-36, “People brought to (Jesus) all who were sick and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak, and as many as touched it were healed.”
Certainly Jesus had an extraordinary way of touching people, but we, too, even today, can have a touch of healing.
It comes when we wrap our arms around a weeping child who is afraid and he finds security in our embrace; when we hold the hand of a dying friend or relative and they know they will not be alone to face death; and when we embrace a friend who has lost a loved one and we silently let them know we are there for them.
But our touch can bring peace, or welcoming, or encouragement to others. We can show this in many ways, for instance, when someone goes to shake our hand we can use both of our hands to grasp theirs, a sign of warm welcome and peace; or, we can reach out to those who are lonely, dejected, or grieving and by words or caress, touch their soul.
The most important thing to remember about our touch is that it must be sincere.
In all cases, let touch be a sign of our love and “Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; … Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. If possible, on your part, live at peace with all. (Romans 12:9-10, 15, 18)
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