Statue with No Hands

It’s story-time. 

“After World War II, a group of German students volunteered to help rebuild a cathedral in England, one of the many casualties of the Luftwaffe bombings.  As the work progressed, a debate broke out on how to best restore a large statue of Jesus with his arms outstretched and bearing the familiar inscription, “Come unto me.” 

Careful patching could repair all damage to the statue except for Christ’s hands, which had been destroyed by bomb fragments.  Should they attempt the delicate task of reshaping those hands?

Finally the workers reached a decision that still stands today.  The statue of Jesus has no hands, and the inscription now reads,

And so it is today.

We could go a hundred different directions with this idea today. 

Yes, there are hungry to feed.

Yes, there are cold and lonely souls in need of warm clothing.

People are in need of shelters to keep the wind off them.

And the list goes on.

In the middle of this mix of want and need, allow my voice to cry out for common decency for every man, every woman.

We show more of Christ with our kind and gentle spirit than we ever do with handing someone a few bills out our car window on a windy street corner.

We show the hands of Christ every time we speak to our kids, grand-kids, siblings and spouses. 

Every time!

We show the hands of Christ to retail clerks, grocery store stockers, window washers, co-workers and nosy neighbors. 

Living out the Christian lifestyle is more than going to church, singing a few songs, reading a few scriptures and avoiding curse words on Sunday.

It is expressed in the mundane of life.  It is shown at 6 A.M.   when the alarm rings and it is shown when the pot boils over and dinner is ruined. 

It is shown when your sports team wins and when it loses.

It is shown when you see a beautiful person walking down the street and when you pass the beggar in the alley.

We show the hand of Christ in every word, every thought, every action and every reaction.

May the world see the love of God in our hands, hear it in our voices, and sense it in our essence as we pass by.

The old poker rule is “don’t show your hand”.

The God-way is this:

Show the soft side of your hand, for in showing it you show HIM!

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words

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One Word at a Time