To be a human is to have a body, and to have a body is to touch and be touched.
The silky softness of a dog’s fur, the grainy roughness of sand, the bracing coolness of water. Touch is the triumph of a high five, the comfort a bear hug, the lurching nervous magic of a kiss. Touch is the shock of a slap to the face, the grief of a hand that slips out of our own, the betrayal of a smack that should be a caress. Touch is safety, danger, pleasure, pain, comfort, courage, human. We are touching creatures, feeling our way through the world. We reach for the world, for each other, for God.
To touch and be touched is to be human.
ABOUT SPEAKING WITH JOY
A podcast that explores pieces of great art and discusses how art shapes our character and our world. Hosted by Joy Clarkson, this wonderful addition to our podcast family gives listeners the chance to delight in classics you might have missed.
