The Power of Touch
As I climbed up the small knoll that morning between our bus and the school we were using for our clinic in this remote village in Nepal, I was stunned at the large crowd awaiting us. This was our second day in this village, and I thought there couldn’t be that many people left to see after our busy day the day before. As we walked, our partner Babu shared with me the feedback he had received in the pastors meeting he attended the previous evening. The pastors had shared their amazement that they had never seen anything like this before. Apparently many doctors in Nepal, at least in their experience, spent little time with patients actually examining them. A few quick questions led to some prescriptions and then on to the next patient. On top of that was the experience that the villagers had with Christians. They had seen Christians come to do medical camps before, but the people usually stayed away because they felt that their only reason for being there was to convert them. When they saw that our team was caring for people in their need, taking time to examine them and touch them they were amazed and wanted to come. Of course the Nepali pastors and Bible school students there with our team were willing to share the Gospel, but the people were more open to listen because we had cared for them as people. Our touch in response to their physical need opened their hearts to consider their spiritual need. We touched them. Just like Jesus.
"Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean." Mark 1:41-42
He knew the power of touch and often touched those who came to him, even though his word alone could heal. Our touch is often the greatest thing we share in medical missions. Not our knowledge, not our technology, our touch.
As I climbed up the small knoll that morning between our bus and the school we were using for our clinic in this remote village in Nepal, I was stunned at the large crowd awaiting us. This was our second day in this village, and I thought there couldn’t be that many people left to see after our busy day the day before. As we walked, our partner Babu shared with me the feedback he had received in the pastors meeting he attended the previous evening. The pastors had shared their amazement that they had never seen anything like this before. Apparently many doctors in Nepal, at least in their experience, spent little time with patients actually examining them. A few quick questions led to some prescriptions and then on to the next patient. On top of that was the experience that the villagers had with Christians. They had seen Christians come to do medical camps before, but the people usually stayed away because they felt that their only reason for being there was to convert them. When they saw that our team was caring for people in their need, taking time to examine them and touch them they were amazed and wanted to come. Of course the Nepali pastors and Bible school students there with our team were willing to share the Gospel, but the people were more open to listen because we had cared for them as people. Our touch in response to their physical need opened their hearts to consider their spiritual need. We touched them. Just like Jesus.
"Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean." Mark 1:41-42
He knew the power of touch and often touched those who came to him, even though his word alone could heal. Our touch is often the greatest thing we share in medical missions. Not our knowledge, not our technology, our touch.
