So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him -1 John 4:16/ESV

I have not done an extensive study on the word “touch” in Scripture. But at first glance, the general rule is that the word “touch” in the Old Covenant is usually surrounded by negatives.

When Christ enters the picture, the word is elevated to a thing of beauty. Jesus touches hearts, minds and bodies, healing them.

I am not a scientist, sociologist nor psychologist, but what I have learned in my readings is that the act of hugging in itself releases the hormone oxytocin, known as the love hormone which lessens stress.

Hugging a fluffy works well, much like a little child coddles a favorite stuffed animal. Hugging and petting animals is a bit more effectual. The ultimate release is when humans exchange caring hugs. It most surely elevates the spirits of both.

Our humanity is not separate from the spiritual, though we divide the two in our analysis of the complex systems God has created in and around us.

Imagine a world where hugs are free-flowing. Imagine Christ at the center of every hug. Paul writes of this captivating truth when stating Christ indeed holds all things together.

The thought of God among us is a rich and endless study. But in one if its simplest forms the sweet act of hugging brings an unspoken joy, for it is Love in Skin.

Amazing!