The Power of Touch

I know some friends who adopted two children from Russia right after the “wall” came down. They were so excited because they couldn’t have children and they were “rescuing” these kids from a Russian orphanage. What they didn’t realize was that they were in for years of hard work and therapy with these kids. I have watched from a distance while they have struggled and loved these kids to a type of normalcy. But in the long run, only God will be able to deliver these ids from the anger and isolation that keep them separated from others. What was the problem? What could make these kids so violent and closed off with deep walls?

Well, for years they had been in that nursery with no human touch. There were no nurses to love on the kids and caress them. They had no parents to sing to them and hold them while they were rocked to sleep. No, quite the contrary, these kids were touch deprived. They were left alone constantly with no nurture, no touch. They developed protective reflexes to make sure that they were heard and attended to. They became enraged and were unable to control their actions.

So this is just one example of the power of touch. In the Old Testament you didn’t touch a leper for fear you would get leprosy. In the New Testament however Jesus reached out and touched the lepers. They were healed instantly. We as believers have the power to heal with our touch. I know out in L5P this year, countless times I would hug one of the homeless, just to give them intimate touch. Think about it. How many times do you think that homeless people are touched in any gentle way. Another example is when I am praying for a person. I normally ask permission to touch them. I know that when I touch them, something in the Spirit is released. So touch along with prayer is important.

The same goes for healing, only even more so. It is so powerful to be able to touch someone and release the power of the Resurrected Christ into them. So touch is important in ministry as well as in growing up. But really, when is touch not important. I cant’ think of a time. Of course I am leaving out the obvious here. Touch is important in love. How can you love someone and not touch them? You see it all the time. Kids holding hands walking down the street or the casual whisk of a hand across a shoulder. A couple sitting next to each other with an arm draped around the shoulder.

Touch is important in every area of our life. The old Post Office saying “Reach out and touch someone you love” is very true. When we touch we allow ourselves to become vulnerable and even more open. Of course there is always inappropriate touch, but that is not the touch that I am talking about. I’m focusing on healing touch. It’s the touch that flows out of love. We need to be able to touch people and to be touched by them. We need to understand that we as believers have a duty to touch the world. How do we do that?

I believe that we touch the world by reaching out to those who are in need. We touch the world by touching one person at a time and releasing healing and any other gift of the Spirit that He wants release into someone’s life. So as we go into this Resurrection Sunday tomorrow let’s make it our goal to touch as many people as we can with real love. It’s fun to be touched, but you will find that it is even more fun to touch. Have a blessed Easter!