As we approach Valentine’s Day, I invite you to consider all the ways that we connect with others by holding hands:
A mother holding the hand of her baby for the first time
A father holding the hand of a child as they cross the street
Walking with a special friend holding hands
Holding hands as you leave the church after your wedding
Holding hands in prayer around the dinner table with family
Holding hands to reassure a friend who is struggling
Holding hands with an elderly parent as they receive hospice care
30 Lessons for Loving, a new book by gerontologist, Dr. Karl Pillemer, concludes after 700 interviews that older adults “place intimacy as a high priority” in their marriages. One recent widow, Jennie B., who was married for 47 years, says that what she missed most is holding hands.
This week I invite you to use your hands to extend the love of God to others. The touch of Jesus brought healing to many. Teresa of Avila wrote: “Christ has no body now but yours….no hands, no feet on earth but yours.”
May our hands extend the love of Christ to bless the world.
Peace,
Pastor Cathy Johns