lenten thoughts on touch
Because Lent is a season when followers of Jesus intentionally try to move closer to God, this year, we will try to move closer to God by considering the countless ways we encounter God through our senses.
This week, we are focusing on touch. Both our reflections are from Alicia Anderson, Campus Minister with Lutheran Campus Ministry at Penn State (just this time). Alicia shares some thoughts on the prompt:
“What touch helps you feel the love of God?”
healing
Though there are plenty of stories in the gospels where Jesus heals someone from a distance or with just his words, there also are stories where Jesus touches the people he heals. In John 9, Jesus encounters a man born blind. Jesus makes mud by spitting on the ground and spreads it on the man’s eyes. Jesus sends the man to wash in a nearby reservoir and the man returns with the ability to see. Setting aside modern-day concerns about the germs in saliva, imagining Jesus standing close while spreading mud on the man’s eyelids is poignant. I imagine the man can feel Jesus’ breath while he gently touches the man’s eyes with the thick mud. In the pool, the man feels the cool water as it washes away his blindness.
There is something healing about caring and compassionate touch, even when there isn’t a miracle involved. When I am weary or sad, a hug from someone who loves me brings real comfort. I can feel love and concern in the embrace. When someone I care about tells me they feel sick, I have the urge to reach over and touch their forehead to check for a fever. I want to touch and find out how sick they are so I can help them feel better. When I am with someone who is going through tough times, I reach out to touch their hand or arm or shoulder to offer support. I want them to feel my presence with them in the difficulties. God reaches out to us through the loving ways we touch and are touched by each other.
– Alicia Anderson, Campus Minister with Lutheran Campus Ministry at Penn State
winter walks
I truly love sharing my life with a pair of Siberian Husky dogs (Aspen and Lola), but the twice-daily walks they need for mental and physical activity take real commitment from me in the winter months. Early each morning, when I’d rather stay snug in my flannel sheets, I get up and put on layers of soft comfy wool. I tie the laces of my hiking boots securely to keep my feet dry in the snow and slush and help me not slip on the ice. My coat, hat, and mittens complete the ensemble.
When I am warmly dressed, the chilly air is refreshing on my cheeks as I walk up the hills in my neighborhood. After nearly an hour in the cold, it is a relief to arrive back home, walk through the door, and feel the warmth surrounding me. As I remove their collars and leashes, my fingers slide smoothly through Aspen and Lola’s silky thick fur. My nose and cheeks are cold to the touch.
Walking in the winter gives me time to notice the contrasts of the seasons. Winter brings cold winds, while spring means warm breezes, and summer will usher in hot still air. Heavy boots will be replaced by lighter shoes and eventually open sandals. It won’t be long before I will feel the warmth of the sun on my back as I climb the hills.
Whether I am layered for the cold, miserable from rain, or reveling in warm sunshine, I notice the diversity and beauty of creation when I am out walking with my dogs. Deep fur and slobbery dog kisses are part of the joy of having dogs, but these daily opportunities to feel the weather of creation keep me connected to God’s creation, in ways I am grateful for.
–– Alicia Anderson, Campus Minister with Lutheran Campus Ministry at Penn State
Lent 2025: Sensing God
O God,
I feel your love in the warm sunsine on my skin,
I feel your forgiveness in the freshness of a spring breeze.
I feel your compassion in a caring hug when I am struggling.
I feel your creativitity in the smooth, rough, soft, and sharp things I touch.
Remind me that you are near and help me to move closer to you as I notice your love in the things I touch and feel each day.
Amen
God created our bodies and gave us marvelous senses through which we engage with the world around us. Every day, whether we think about it or not, we encounter God’s presence through sensory experiences that are holy or silly or powerful or unremarkable. This Lent we will move closer to God by noticing and reflecting on these sense-driven experiences.
We invite you to share your own thoughts and observations on what touch helps you feel God’s love on this link to our Instagram thread this week.
You can share an image or a thought or just a word or two.
Blessings to you this Lent. May we all sense God’s loving presence.
Peace,
Alicia
Lutheran Student Community is a community of faith for students while at Penn State.
You are welcome to bring doubts and questions, to explore what it means to be a person of faith as you grow and discover who you are and what you are going to do with your life.
We gather around worship, discussion/study, service opportunities, and community that are designed with students in mind. Student leaders help to guide our plans and our gatherings – and everyone is welcome. Come as you are. Really.