Inspired by Love

Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Matthew 5:19)

Juan Mann was living in London when his world turned upside down and he did the one thing that we all do in a time of crisis – he went home. Unfortunately, his family had moved away from the town he grew up in and when he arrived at the airport in Sydney Australia he realized, perhaps for the first time, he was alone, with no place to call home. As he was standing alone in the airport watching other passengers being greeted by family and friends he thought, ‘I want someone out there waiting for me, happy to see me, similing at me, waiting to give me a hug.’ It was a defining moment – a moment that is timeless in time. How many of you have had moments like that? Has there ever been a time when you felt alone, or afraid, or sad, or lost while you were standing in line for a cup of coffee or waiting for a bus on a busy street corner? Have you ever had a moment while you were walking down the street watching other people being greeted with a hug and wished someone was there to to give you a hug in that moment? Like the rest of us who have experienced these moments, Juan could have shrugged his shoulders and moved on with his life, but instead he decided to make a sign that said FREE HUGS on both sides. After making his simple sign, he walked to the busiest pedestrian intersection in the city and held it up for eveyone to see. What unfolded after that is nothing short of miraculous.

Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Matthew 5:19) At the core of your being is the eternal light of God – the eternal presence of the beloved Jesus Christ. Beyond what you are doing, believing, feeling, or experiencing in this moment the unmoving light of God is within you. It is within everyone. This eternal light is the common thread that unites all of us. Regardless of your religion, country, or life experience, this eternal presence within you unites you with all of humanity. When Juan Mann held up that sign that day, on a busy street corner, he brought out the true spirit of humanity – the spirit of love and compassion for one another. The first person that tapped him on the shoulder to ask for a hug was a woman whose dog had died that morning and to make matters worse it was the heartbreaking one-year anniversary of the death of her only daughter who had been killed in a car accident – she really needed a hug. That hug and the YouTube video (see next page) that captures those first hugs was the beginning of what has become a global movement called the Free Hugs Campaign. How can something as simple as a hug reveal the deepest truth that Jesus is eternally revealing? And how does Juan demonstrate the timeless power of his eternal words?