Touch, like prayer, is a powerful force. Visiting the referral hospital where free services are offered to those in desperate need of medical attention, it’s hard to ignore the might of both, especially in tandem.
Many of the patients there have no visitors, no support. There is no one there to touch them. There is no one there to cup their shoulder in prayer or embrace them in their pain. I am reminded again and again in Uganda of how lucky, how deeply blessed I am to have so many who love me. I am blessed to have a support team who would be at my bedside if I was in need. The loneliness I would feel without them would be devastating and so my heart cries for those who are sick and alone, untouched. God gently reminds me that even those alone at the hospital are not truly alone, but loved by the great comforter.
I remember the man with leprosy Jesus healed AND touched, a man who had been neglected and lonely because of his illness. Jesus could have spoken him free from his illness but God is the God of comfort. When Jesus touched the leper he healed more than his body. Jesus was mending his heart. The prayers and comfort we offer to those in the hospital are just a portion of the healing they need and yet it is vital portion. We are the extension of God’s touch to those in need. God is good. 🙂
