The Power of Touch
What is the Power of Touch? To touch is “to link up with another.”
Physically, touch is evident using our hands. Touch also has an emotional and spiritual component. To have an impact with another that is more abstract than feeling something on our skin.
Scripturally, there are several examples of touch, including:
- Mark 5:30 – the woman who touched the cloak of Jesus without his knowing,
- Jeremiah 18:1-6 – being clay in the potter’s hands, and
- John 20:27 – believing by being able to touch and feel.
What are these examples, and those not listed, telling us? Jesus Christ is the primary way that God touches humanity and us. That touch, being deeply intimate, calls for acceptance and healing to occur within us.
Jesus also touches our spirit with forgiveness. God touches our lives with the grace of deep peace.
How can we use the power of touch? There are many instances of the healing power of gentle touch and massage – in babies, the elderly and through consensual touch (therapeutic massage, chiropractic care, etc.).
Gentle words and discussions can also touch a person, their mind and spirit. Even walking through nature – brushing fingertips over tree bark and stone, feeling the sun and breeze on our faces.
What can we do, how can we practice praying with touch? Walking through the beauty of nature; being aware and touching our environment.
For prayer – the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, walking a labyrinth, making the Sign of the Cross, using Holy Water to anoint, giving the Sign of Peace.
As solo activities – journaling, artwork, cooking meditation and driving.
May God allow us to heal as we are healed, to touch others in gentle love and understanding, and feel the presence of Providence around us in the world.
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This is an absolute truth. As a clinical social worker with families with young children, I emphasized to parents how important touch was. And, as you say, Susan, the need for touch doesn’t leave us. Your various suggestions give us many opportunities to fulfill that need. Thank you.
Thanks so much for this reminder, Susan. Instinctively I reach out to touch whenever I can. Someone touched me on the arm this morning and it meant much to me–it was a tangible addition to her words.
Remembering that when my husband passed away I was so grateful my friends were huggers. It meant so much to me to be touched.