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by Karissa Clark
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Let Them Hold Hands
At Multnomah, a bastion of conservative biblical thought, students would not wish homosexuality on anyone. But they hear that if they show too much affection with other people of their own gender, it will cause their brother or sister to sin by encouraging homosexual love. So they draw back. No hugs. No kisses. Yet a longing for touch and physical affirmation is noticeable around the campus. Without their families, students have no place to find this kind of natural affirmation. Where is the balance?
Dating relationships provide a socially acceptable way of providing and receiving physical affirmation. Yet the need still exists for students who are not in romantic relationships.
American culture restricts signs of affection within genders, but the church is called to be counter-cultural. References to a kiss in the Old Testament are based on kinship and friendship, not sexuality. The writers of the New Testament even command the believers to "greet one another with a holy kiss" (Romans 16:16). Although this was a cultural statement and need not be applied specifically, a principal stands behind this repeated command: Greet one another with love and affection.
Studies confirm that without physical touch, children curl up and withdraw, eventually dying. A hug sometimes is the only way people can express sympathy. Multnomah students need hugs, too. Don't deny someone in need of love, but instead reach out with your hands as well as with your heart.
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