Hands, touching, and children can no longer be spoken of in the same sentence unless done so negatively.
To “lay a hand” on a child today means to beat a child.
To say someone “touched” a child today means he/she did something perverse.
Yet we know that children need the right kind of hands and touch. Newborns who are held and touched thrive far better than those who don’t. Children who never experience hugs and tender touches grow lonely and afraid. Watching my daughter cuddle our fluffy cat yesterday, my son said, “I wish I could be a cat and be held and cuddled like that.”
It’s time for followers of Jesus to recover the Jesus’ touch when it comes to children. In Matt. 19 parents flock to Jesus. Why? “So he could lay his hands on them and pray for them.” Jesus scolded his disciples and then “placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.”
May our hands be those that bring prayer and blessing to the children in our lives. May we become the hands of Jesus.
