Understanding Affection

Who ever led me to believe public affection was wrong was all wrong to begin with. Affection is good. Public affection is better. Good public affection wins the night. Maybe even the late night, not so public kind. I'll spare you further detail in that regard.

Affection is good medicine for the soul. For any marriage and friendship too. Affection expresses what words cannot and connects two people with feelings that our upwardly mobile, success driven, materialistically minded society tries to suppress. It isn't always politically correct to well up with giddiness or tears, or laughter or love. Forget about holding hands, or the public smack on the butt. Especially if you are Christian. Dear Lord! If you believe in Jesus and want to love and serve him then you will remember that sex is of the devil. And affection ALWAYS leads to sex. Right? Hmp. Ask any married man or woman and they'll preach a different truth.

There is something really significant about touch. It warms a heart and breaks down the walls in our lives. It announces our acceptance of another-- and affirms our commitment to let someone else have a bit of control. It comforts the weary. It strengthens anyone in sorrow. It keeps us in touch with each other, keeps us real. When all else is cold and stale in our lives, there is a moment of affection that shatters such states of existence and sets us free to be who we really are: dependent people.
Not co-dependent. But certainly in need of each other. I need you. And you need me. And sometimes we are reminded of that need with a simple hug. a handshake. a shared laugh. A chopstick war. Those childish butterfly kisses. A tap on the nose. That sweet double blink. The one that can be either good or bad. It doesn't matter really, just as long as it is.

Life without faithful affection would be numb. It would be rigid and weak, but pretend to be strong. It would be busy, but unproductive... for it would lack the language that all of humanity speaks. Affection is the language of the soul that speaks so loud--- perhaps the loudest in its absence. Don't let it be absent. Let's never buy into the lie that it need not exist. Every touch matters. Every act of affection lifts a burden, or at least shares it. Every commitment to an affectionate life is a commitment to a christ life. The savior was certainly affectionate... in his life, his death, his resurrection. Through words, deeds, actions and attitude, he demonstrated a deep love for His people. Ultimately, his affection culminated in the cross. Don't be afraid to be like Jesus... love others and let others love you. You can't go wrong there.

For now, I'll settle for footsies as you dose off to sleep. Take that!