Spirituality
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Spiritual Reflections To love with skin BY LYNNE HARTKE
Skin is amazing. Our skin reacts to wind, temperature, humidity and light and is the first line of defense against disease. Skin is tough enough to endure the pounding stress of a marathon runner yet sensitive enough to respond to the shiver of a cool breeze. Through our skin we feel the softness of a baby’s cheek, the silkiness of a flower petal, the stiffness in a new pair of jeans and splash of ocean waves. We are not covered with feathers or scales or fur. We are covered with skin—a stretched thin transmitter sending important information to our brains. “More than any other species,
our skin is designed not so much for appearance as for relating, for being touched.”—Dr. Paul Brand The story of Christmas is God coming to earth as a baby, entering this world with skin, becoming Emmanuel, God with us. With us in the scratchy hay in the manger and the soft swaddling of strips of cloth in the hands of his mother and the warm breath of Joseph on his face. With us with feeling, pain and fatigue. With us with skin. Now it is our turn—to love with skin. To be God-in-us to others. What do we do when we encounter the incredible pain of a hurting world? The tendency is to pull back and step away, but the essence of our
faith asks us to do the opposite. Love with skin steps forward, even closer, because skin was meant to be touched. Skin that is numb isn’t healthy. We must move closer into the breathing-groaning-writhing mess of this world. Closer to the elderly. Closer to the troubled teen. Closer to the homeless. This is love with skin. This is the story of Christmas. Lynne Hartke blogs at lynnehartke. com. She is the wife of Pastor Kevin Hartke of Trinity Christian Fellowship in Chandler, 50 S. McQueen Rd. For information, visit tcfchandler.org or call 480-963-7698.
December 7 – 20, 2013
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Spiritual Reflections Share your spiritual reflections... The spiritual leaders of SanTan Sun area churches, temples, mosques and other religious and spiritual gathering places are invited to contribute their Spiritual Reflections in essay format by sending their thoughts, enlightening insights and other writings of a spiritual nature to News@SanTanSun.com. Be certain to put “Spiritual Reflections submission” in the subject line, and keep your articles around 200-300 words, or they may be edited for length. Include your first and last name, title and facility name, address, phone number and website. Spiritual Reflections are printed on a space-available basis, and submission does not guarantee print. The opinions represented in this column are those of the author and not that of the SanTan Sun News.