We all like the rub, the scratch, the massage. I remember going to handbell week at Lutheridge and having a group shoulder-rubbing exercise. It was a nice warm-up. Gathered in the typical horseshoe semi-circle formation behind the bell tables, the director had us turn to the right and rub the shoulders of the one next to us. Then we reversed direction. Our daughter Amy’s choral groups employed the same technique. It binds people together in that simple touch, that comforting gesture. Of course, it loosens your “apparatus” up for rehearsal and performance.

We need human touch and contact. I pray that we never get too uptight, even with so many stories of “inappropriate” touching, that we are afraid of each other. Respect for each other’s personal space should always be considered; I get that. Not everyone is a hugger. Even our best of intentions can be misunderstood.

It is also germane to non-physical aspects of relating. When we say that someone “rubs us the wrong way”, we are not talking about rotating our thumbs or palms the wrong direction on someone’s back. When we say someone is an “itch”, it is NOT a compliment. It’s like trying to be comfortable wearing a burlap sack. Our congregations get like that sometimes. Before we know it, we have stepped on someone’s toes (sorry; another metaphor). Psychological scars, though not as apparent, are still as painful.  Sensitivity has many layers of meaning. It can exacerbate the problem to label someone as overly sensitive. The ministry of reconciliation is like Biofreeze to the sore soul. We feel instant relief, the spirit of healing washing over us. Egos get bruised from too much massage.

We do well to recall the teachings of Paul, who stressed going overboard to not offend a brother or sister in Christ. But Paul did not run from conflict either. He knew that even the wrong-way rub could lead to spiritual growth. Christian discipline, speaking the truth in love, avails fruitful growth for the body of Christ. Our shoulders, necks, backs, and spirits are soothed by the balm of peace and love. That love which, by the way, comes from our Triune God unconditionally.

Pastor Art