Hugging
By GARY TOOLE

What I've always liked about church is that we're like a family and families hug or should hug; unlike other facets of our lives.

When we go to work, we don't walk up and hug the boss. Some are tempted to try it when they are trying to make points for a raise or a position. When we're in the grocery store we don't normally hug. Right? So, I like hugging!

Let me tell you that no matter how macho you may be, deep inside there's still a little child in each of us that at times needs and wants a hug. We need to nurture that child like part of our personality; not depress it, because that is what helps get us into Heaven.

Jesus said, "Unless you be converted and become as little children then you cannot enter Heaven." Children love and they love to hug. Families hug or they should. Even the mafia families hug each other -- not just blood relatives. I know. And then they shoot each other afterwards. But we should hug because we truly love and care for one another and God commands us to love one another. I know it's hard to love some people, but we have got to love even the unlovable.

My uncle once said, "Men don't hug other men," and I said, "Well, whoever said that is the same nut that said, 'Men are not supposed to cry.'" I don't care how macho you are. If someone cuts your hand off with an axe then you will cry.

One fellow told me that if he went around hugging the brothers in the church that folks would think that he was gay. I thought that if he was that uncomfortable with his sexuality then there's something wrong and he needs to get that under the blood.

One man said that he didn't want any of the brothers in the church to hug his wife, yet he went around hugging all the young girls. Folks there's something wrong with that picture. Let me tell you that distrustful jealousy is a sin; the kind of jealousy that the Bible says is as cold as the grave. The good jealousy is the one that tells us that God is a jealous God which means that we belong to Him and Him alone.

Then the worst of all was the preacher that hugged all the folks in the church, including the women and girls, and yet he taught his daughter not to hug or allow anyone of the opposite sex to hug her unless they were over 92 years old. Folks, there is something wrong with that situation. Amen!

God commands us to love one another. That's not a request. It's not an option that you can love one and not the other, play up to one and avoid the other. Love one another. Hug one another in Christ's name as part of the family of God. Can you say amen?

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