My colleague Joe Henderson has been in a cave writing a doctoral dissertation. But today, he poked his head out long enough to relay his hesitancy to hug. ‘I’m a handshaker, not a hugger,’ Joe tells me. He’s not alone. Fellow-blogger and colleague Fred Sanders is another non-hugger. For all of you non-huggers, then, and in the interest of equal representation, here is Joe’s version of an embodied theology of reconciliation.
‘Maybe you could do a theology of shaking hands. I’ve suggested some steps for theological reflection. This is more a farmer’s handshake than a business man’s handshake.
1) Look at your shoes, when other guy enters your personal space.
2) Signal you are willing to shake hands — by shifting weight to right foot and looking at other guy’s shoes.
3) Grasp other guy’s hand, shake, release, while looking at upper right corner of room.
4) Give a quick nod, indicates “that was all OK, right?”
5) Fold your arms and look at your shoes.’
