Saturday 17th May
Read Deuteronomy 34:9; 1 Timothy 5:22; 2 Timothy 1:6-7
“Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.”
“Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.”
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (NIVUK)
The laying on of hands, a devotional and almost sacramental aspect of the sense of touch, is regularly used to pass on God’s Spirit from those more senior to those more junior. Kings are also anointed through touch and healing is transferred, if not effected.
These days, with Covid restrictions and an enlarged personal space in western countries, touch is one of the least used senses in Christian worship. We focus on sight and sound and, to a lesser extent, taste – leaving touch and smell mostly alone. One wonders what we are missing.
