Touch

I helped feed homeless people today. I have done it every Sunday, and it is so nice just being able to share with people who have nothing. I think, more than the food though, they appreciate the Love that we give them. I've learned that there are plenty of ways that they can get food, but what they do not traditionally have is touch-genuine, human touch. Homeless people have stigmas of being nasty, dirty, unlovable and consequently they are deprived of human touch in such a way that would make most people go absolutely nuts. What these people are really deprived of, beyond food and shelter and provision, is Love. One of the most basic necessities of humanity is gone from these people, and frankly, I do not know how they manage. One of the easiest ways to exhibit Love is by touch. A hug, a kiss, a handshake, these are rarely felt by homeless people and when I hugged Steve today I got a feeling that is unlike that like when I hug other people. We take hugs for granted. Steve does not.
It got me thinking about touch in general. I once heard a sermon on the importance of touch and to be honest it sticks with me and it has really changed the way that I think about and act towards people. Touch can definitely hurt and be destructive in a relationship, no doubt, especially if handled incorrectly, but the absence of touch can be equally if not more so destructive. A simple thing like a hug, a back rub, a simple pat can be such an indicator of Love, as my Homeless friend Steve wordlessly taught me today. Hugs can make or break a friendship depending on the frequency, I've seen it go both ways, and in Santa Monica, especially on SMSP it seems like the importance of something so simple is not understood very well. Human touch is so fundamental to feeling Loved and sometimes I ask God why I do not feel more Loved. And He gently points me to Steve and the other homeless people that I see on Sundays and hoe astronomically unLoved they most undoubtedly feel.
Good Luck and Good Eats
~Cody