Hugging is a major part of the charismatic subculture. Although the prayer meeting hug gave me a glimpse into the different personalities, I used to dread it with a mixture of amusement.
Some people leap to hug with great exuberance, others are less than enthusiastic. But whatever happens to be your thing, you have no choice, you HAVE to hug! I remember a woman who used to have this amazing skill to hug without touching. Ah… the bear huggers! These are the people who make it their mission to squeeze the life out of you. All of these can offend dignity, privacy or people’s feelings. Who wants a full embrace from a complete stranger or hug a person in visible discomfort? I used to linger and chat away with someone, just to cut down on the hugs I would have to exchange. It was an embarrassing spectacle; a pretentious exchange of affection. Put on a good front Muriel, I used to tell myself, you don’t want to hurt the gorilla. Don’t get me wrong, I like to hug. But I resent artificial affection forced on me. There can be a lot of genuine warmth in a smile, in a “how do you do”, or in a handshake.
"Give the person on your right a great big hug and say I love you in the Lord"
