Mystic Mantra: Touchy subjects

A large “do not touch” sign on some critical space flight hardware did not deter US vice-president Mike Pence from touching it when he recently visited the Kennedy Space Centre, Florida. A photo of him touching “untouchable” Nasa equipment drew flak on Twitter. While Mr Pence apologised, someone tweeted, “Thank God he didn’t touch a porcupine!”

Creatures respond to touch differently. The touch-me-not plant (mimosa pudica) closes when touched. Likewise, turtles retreat into their shells when disturbed, avoiding harm. Such involuntary actions are instinctual survival techniques.

Being flesh-and-blood creatures, we too are sensitive to being touched or untouched. However, human touchiness is not just involuntary or instinctual, but religious, psychological, social, physiological and moral.

Psychologists opine that infants who have not savoured the warmth of their parents’ hugs and caresses are likely to crave for someone to hold their hand or embrace them later on. Sadly, orphans often fall prey to those who abuse their unfulfilled need to be touched and treasured.

At the socio-cultural and physiological realms, certain people are regarded as untouchable since their birth is believed to be lowly or their medical condition considered contagious. Those of the so-called “low castes” or lepers are considered untouchable and pushed to society’s margins.

Religion is rife with persons and things regarded as touchable or untouchable. The biblical books of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy have innumerable stipulations whereby outward purity of touch is symbolic of inner purity of heart. God deems certain objects as holy and others as unclean to touch. “Whatever touches the altar becomes holy.” Since God appeared to Moses on Mount Sinai, “Be careful not to go up the mountain or to touch the edge of it. Any who touch the mountain shall be put to death. No hand shall touch them.”

By performing many miracles of touch, Jesus critiques religious and social taboos. He touches a leper, restores eyesight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, and heals a guard’s ear cut off by Peter. In a metaphorical sense, he “touches” the lives of those labelled “sinners” and transforms them. In Jesus, people feel that God has touched them in an experiential, transformative way.

You and I have an immense capacity to heal others by our tender touch. The wiping of your child’s tears, the kiss of your spouse, the assuring embrace of a friend who has lost a loved one, an appreciative pat on the back of one who has achieved something or the consoling clasp of your sick parent’s wrinkled hand can work wonders.

Beyond physical touch, our love-laden words and life-affirming actions also touch others. People are subjects, not objects. How wonderful to hear someone say: “You have touched me; I have grown!”