Reach Out & Touch

"Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" was the debut solo single for Motown singer Diana Ross, released in April 1970.  The message of this song is hauntingly relevant in a world often devoid of human touch.

I wrote a few months ago about the impersonal nature of modern communication methods. We have reduced human contact to the maximum number of characters allowed in a tweet or text. We find affirmation in how many pins, retweets, comments, or "likes" we can accumulate. Through social media we can be "friends" with literally thousands without ever leaving home, meeting them, or even speaking to them.  We share personal information with multitudes, but do we really communicate?   

Communicating in our world is complex, instantaneous, and can occur completely without human contact. But contact is the key for humans.

Communicating is much more than just an exchange of words. When we converse face to face with another person, we send and receive messages in a multitude of ways. We connect through voice, eye contact and body language, shared memories, laughter, and touch. The best part of a meal with friends or family is the conversation, the connection we feel to those with whom we share the table.

Being able to see, speak with, and hug my adult children is a balm for my mother's heart. No matter how old they are or where they go, there is no substitute for actually sharing the same space with those I love. When weeks or months pass without seeing them, I feel a physical longing just to be with them.

Last summer at a wedding reception, an acquaintance told about the difficulty of communicating with her son who is in the military and was stationed at the time in South Korea.  Due to the time difference and the nature of his work, she lamented that she was only able to connect with him every few weeks.  Overhearing this, my son jokingly said: “I just live in Chicago, but my mom thinks it’s South Korea.”  It’s true; I do. While I appreciate the technology which allows us to stay in contact, I still want to see, speak with, and touch my family.

I was recently reminded that God feels the same way about us. He desires honest, real, face-to-face communication, not a brief text or tweet. He’s not satisfied with an email, video chat, or voice mail.  Like a loving parent, He wants the gift of our time and attention. There is no way to feel connected to Him without spending time with Him; there are no shortcuts to a relationship with Him. 

He doesn’t need our contact, but He wants it.  In the Garden of Eden, after Adam and Eve had broken His command and sinned, God came looking for them.  They hid in their shame.  “But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’”  (Genesis 3:9)  Even knowing what they had done, God still desired to be with them, as He does with us.  Amazing….

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”  Jeremiah 29:13

Link to "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" by Diana Ross.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=g-7qCG2_aaA