I’ve noticed an increasing trend among young men the last few years – it’s suddenly OK to hug each other. Whether it’s college athletes celebrating a win; alumni seeing each other years after graduation, or just guys catching up after work, hugs are more prevalent than ever. This even has a slang name – “bro-mance!”
A bromance is a close, non-romantic relationship between two or more men. Bromances can lessen the stress of competition between men, and foster friendships and companionship. It will also over time probably break down the “tough guy” stereotypes that keep men from expressing their love, gentleness and kindness to peers and across generations.
Besides the social benefits these hugs might produce, they can also have health benefits.
Relationship author and lecturer, Jack Canfield, published these comments about hugging, “Hugging is healthy. It helps the body’s immune system, it keeps you healthier, it cures depression. It reduces stress, it induces sleep, it’s invigorating, it’s rejuvenating, it has no unpleasant side effects, and hugging is nothing less than a miracle drug.”
It’s not surprising that an expression of love has so much power when we think of the source of this love as something more than just human affection. And, the desire to express love, compassion and caring through a hug can be easy and natural when we understand that it has a foundation in how God loves us.
The Bible speaks of it this way, “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33: 27).
We could call this a “Go-mance” if you will – the loving relationship between God and each of us that makes it easy for us to extend it to others. Recognizing this, Christian healer Mary Baker Eddy once wrote, “’God is Love.’ More than this we cannot ask, higher we cannot look, farther we cannot go” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 6).
Infinitely greater than a mere human hug, the embrace of divine Love has behind it the power to have an immediate and permanent healing effect on our health. In my spiritual practice, I have seen that when a patient understands and feels that powerful Love, it leads to the healing of loneliness, depression, even pain and sickness.
So, men, let’s do our part to create a healthy world; let’s keep giving those hugs.
