He put his fingers into his ears
In this week’s Gospel Mark 7: 31-37 after having been begged to lay his hands on the deaf man, Jesus goes further and puts his fingers into his (the deaf man’s) ears and may have touched his tongue with his spittle. Just reading the words jars the sensitivity of the modern person.
Today, we are warned not to get too close, some still wear masks, and touching strangers is out of the question. In our current world, where boundaries and physical distance are emphasized for health and safety, this intimate gesture of healing can feel unsettling.
Imagine my mixed emotions of surprise, joy, and discomfort last week, when after going through the girls' school for under-12s, blessing them with prayers and holy water, and then presiding at a prayer service for the start of the new school term, many of the younger girls spontaneously came up and hugged me at the end of the service. In a time when we are so conscious of keeping our distance, their innocent and affectionate gesture reminded me of the power of touch, especially in moments of genuine connection and love.
The Gospel and my experience remind me that Jesus’ ministry was deeply personal. Both Jesus and these young girls emphasized that innocence and love are profoundly intimate. Jesus’ physical touch of the deaf man demonstrates that healing and compassion often involve not just spiritual or emotional closeness, but physical presence and touch as well. In the same way, these children, in their pure, unguarded way, taught me how love and kindness still find ways to break through our modern boundaries, just as Jesus did in His own time.
Being brought up in a family that was not touchy touchy this is a learning experience for me. Starting with Sandee, my wife, and then having children and grandchildren I have gradually learnt to hold hands when walking and to hug, kiss and make the sign of the cross on foreheads. Now, when I visit my 92-year-old mother, I hold her hands and feel the flesh and bones of years of love, realizing how much tenderness can be expressed in a simple touch.
Friends, probably you too have experienced the discomfort of physical touch. Probably your innocence was betrayed. Probably you were conditioned not to be intimate. I urge you to start a journey of innocent physical gestures. I believe it is a matter of degrees of familiarity, learning what is appropriate and stepping out of our comfort zone. Also, let us open our hearts to Jesus’ physical touch.
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