Group Hug

May 21, 2007 - 10:30 AM by Stephanie

While living in San Francisco, a “must” on the list of places to take visiting friends was a Sunday morning session at Glide Memorial.

Aside from the prestige of knowing you were attending services conducted by the Reverend Cecil Williams – one of America’s grandest philanthropists who marched alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. and routinely hosted/
hosts celebrity churchgoers…Maya Angelou, Sharon Stone, Bill & Hillary, the Archbishop Desmond Tutu, etc. – there was the “oh-so-San-Fran group thing”. I.e. the feel-good “turn to your neighbor and give him/her a hug” prodded by Williams.

“Is he kidding?” I thought my first time out. “Did he just say hold hands with the stranger next to me? Ooh! No way! Ugh! Okay. Group pressure. Okay. Blech!”

So that sorta thing isn’t really my cuppatea.

But today’s Group Hug around Jerusalem’s Old City organized by Lovers of Jerusalem brings memories of Glide crashing right back. Warm, fuzzy. White robes. Tambourines.

Okay stop it. It starts around 4 p.m. Israel local and meeting points are listed on the site (follow the above link). The organization’s blurb:

Hand in hand, we will create one huge circle, a human hug to Jerusalem. During the hug we shall each express our pure intent and offer our personal blessing of love to the holy city, the heart of the world, and know that we all are doing it together

Amen. Pass the collection plate.

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