Shake Another Hand….

When you shake someone’s hand, it says a lot about you and/or your relationship with them.  This past week I had three experiences shaking hands with people.

The first took place last Wednesday when I met the ELCA Indiana-Kentucky Synod’s new Bishop, Tim Graham.  When he greeted me, he said my name, shook my hand, and placed his other hand on top of mine as shown in the picture below, while also looking me in the eye with a big smile.  It was so heartwarming to be greeted that way.

The second time was Saturday when I attended the Via de Cristo team meeting in Ft. Wayne, serving as the Lay Spiritual Director for the co-ed weekend #34, November 14th-17th.  There were many, many people I had not seen for quite some time.  They were so welcoming with warm handshakes and loving hugs, even knowing my name after all this time.

Finally, on Sunday, I attended Messiah Lutheran Church in Brownsburg for their 60th Anniversary.  It was only my second time being there since my retirement a little over a year ago.  Friendly smiles, warm handshakes, and loving hugs all made my day, as I was greeted by so, so many.

You can read more about what handshakes mean in an archived Forbes article by clicking here.

To me a sincere handshake shows one cares about the person, is happy to see them, and is reaching out to know them.  When I was Assistant Camp Director at Lee Valley Ranch in Custer, South Dakota, Pastor Dick Borrud ingrained in us the importance of hospitality (shaking a person’s hand being an important part of this) with the camp’s theme being from Romans 12: 9-13: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

“Practice hospitality”: you notice it says to “practice”.  We are not perfect at it and we must practice showing hospitality to others.  That generally begins with a handshake, so do so firmly and with love for all God’s people.

Let’s go shake some hands!