Fifteen Second Kiss

About three weeks ago I was asked to speak at my niece’s wedding. One of the points I made was the importance of keeping up a close physical relationship. (In case you’re wondering, I’m not just talking about sex.)

In my mini-sermon, I challenged them to give each other a 15 second kiss on the lips every day. Time it, a 15 second kiss. Why? I believe we live in a busy fractured culture and couples begin to drift apart; deep down we all long for that human touch. If we practice our 15 second kisses, we keep up that human contact plus you cannot go to bed angry with anyone if you give them a 15 second kiss.

In Mark 8:22 it says: “and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.” Wow! “Some people,” not family, not friends, not fellow parishioners, just “some people” (These must be some special ‘some people’.). Who would bring a blind man, and beg Jesus? How long has it been since we got on our knees to beg Jesus to heal our Mom or Dad, our son or daughter, our family and friends? No, not heal them, just touch them. Touch them! Touch them! Just touch them, Jesus, and we have the faith you will heal them!

If you are blind physically or spiritually blind, have you lived your life in such a way that “some people” would bring you to Jesus to be touched or healed? How long has it been since you brought some people to Jesus to be touched or healed?

We all need to be touched. We all need to be loved. We all need to be healed…how long has it been?

I realize I am blessed to have a wife. What if I was alone? I have been alone in my life. I would have welcomed a smile, a touch on the arm, a hug, a pat on the back, a kind word. Brothers and sisters, in the proper way, let us demonstrate the touch of Jesus to a hurting, cold, distant, superficial world. I guess the old telephone ad was right—“Reach out and touch someone.” Touch the young, old, the rejected, and the indifferent and reach out and touch them with the Love of Christ.

Oh Lord, give me the courage to be “some people” who would bring the blind to you just to be touched. Give me faith to believe and persist. Come Lord Jesus; come touch my hurting blind world. Touch me; heal me. Amen.