Reflection for January 9
Lilia, age 13
Every morning at the all-boys middle school where I teach, we take time to greet each other. Right after attendance, students get out of their seats and walk around shaking hands, giving fist bumps, elbow bumps, and high fives. Not only to their classmates, but to all the teachers and staff, and any visitors who might be present. These five minutes are an important start to our day. And a regular source of the human touch.
How often do we hear about “the human touch?” In our increasingly digitized existence, it seems more and more challenging to connect with each other “in real life.” Equally challenging for us today is to draw a line in the digital sand — to carve out space away from the constant barrage of updates, posts, alerts, invitations, requests for reviews, and on and on. We connect on Zoom, Facetime, WhatsApp, and all the other flavors of digital communication. But those connections lack that one thing — touch.
Jesus’s actions in today’s gospel gives us encouragement and a challenge. He is accosted by the man with leprosy who beseeches Jesus to heal him, bringing complete faith in the power Jesus has. Jesus does not ignore the pleas of the man with leprosy. He stops, listens, and then does something remarkable. He touches the man, a blatant violation of the laws regarding contact with the unclean. And only after he touches the man’s arm does he say, “I do will it,” and heals the man.
The boys at my school make human connections with each other on a daily basis, both in the morning and, of course, at recess. I look forward to the warm handshake and smile from them, perhaps a quick conversation before they move on to the next person. When we choose to take that step, we bridge the gap between our isolated selves, just a little bit.
Tom Menner