Baz Gascoyne comments on the value of a hug

Photo: Ben Pilkington www.benpilkington.com

It is amazing that a young man offering free hugs in a shopping mall in Sydney can cause so much reaction but that is exactly what has happened with Juan Mann. Over 6 million people have been on You Tube to view the moving video of what happened, leaving over 15,000 comments.

Juan Mann wrote a sign saying 'Free Hugs' and began walking up and down Pitt Street Mall receiving various looks and comments.

Eventually after 15 mins an old lady tapped Juan on the shoulder and asked for a hug. She was feeling upset as her dog had died that day and it was also the one year anniversary of her daughter's death. Juan knelt down and hugged the old lady. She left with a smile on her face. Gradually other people, young and old, began to ask for hugs and something had begun which has since snowballed. All around the globe people are offering free hugs. In Sydney the authorities banned Juan from hugging people and told him he only could continue if he got insured for 25 million dollars for liability insurance in case someone got hurt!

Juan did not have this kind of money so began a petition and collected 10,000 names saying that they wanted the chance to have a free hug whenever, wherever and from whomever. The authorities backed down and Juan continues to give free hugs to whoever asks for one. Check out the Free Hugs Campaign website!

This story and the video really gripped me: when I saw the video over a year ago I broke down crying as I thought it was so moving and so much like what happened to Jesus when he walked this earth. Jesus spent so much time with the ordinary person eating, drink and laughing that the people in authority began to get angry and challenge Jesus about his behaviour. His reply was "I have come for these people, not the ones who don't think they are sick and don't need help".

The GOOD NEWS about Jesus is that He came to this earth to Hug it. To show each of us how much God loves us and how he wants to help us daily with our struggles, hurts, disappointments and questions. Do not be put off from receiving God's love by what others may think of you.

Recently I have been telling the story of Juan and showing the 'free hugs' film in junior and senior schools with amazing effects. Teachers have been crying at the end of assemblies, asking me for a hug and some of the young people have gone home and hugged family members with unbelievable responses from their parents and brothers or sisters. In one senior school I had over 15, 16 year old, boys queuing up to receive a hug from me at the end of the assembly. This was such an amazing experience for me and also challenging to the staff and the rest of the pupils who witnessed as I embraced each young man with a good firm hug, encouraging them to keep reaching out for more love and giving it to others.

If it's true what Virginia Satir, a Family Therapist, says - that we need 4 Hugs a day for survival; 8 for maintenance and 12 a day for growth - is it about time we allowed ourselves to be hugged by a God who loves us? We also need to put ourselves in the place to be hugged by our family and friends and not worry about what others think or say.

Let's not say this is not a man thing. Masculinity is being prepared to admit that we need physical affection from other men and not being too macho to admit it. Whether it's inside or outside the church all men long to be loved: what a better way to show it than to embrace each other in a manly way and not a twee Christian Hug. I want to be hugged and so do the men in the Church I am part of. Let's get over the embarrassment factor and excuses that Men will be put off God if we hug them. What a load of crap! Let's be real with ourselves, others and God.