By the Rev. Edward Chinn, D.Min.

http://www.allsaintstorresdale.org

“I am very fortunate to have had such fantastic surgeons at St. John’s work on my shoulder.” Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger was speaking about being touched by medical care after he tore the rotator cuff of his left shoulder. Arnold had been performing a stunt on the set of Terminator 3. The movie, a sequel to the 1984 and 1991 Terminator films, is due to be released over the July 4 weekend. Arnold had previously been touched by surgeons at the Santa Monica hospital in December 2001 when he fractured several ribs in a motorcycle accident.

Sometimes we are touched patriotically. Recently we celebrated the birthday of Abraham Lincoln. When Lincoln was 21 years old, he made a trip down the Mississippi River to New Orleans on a flat boat loaded with produce. In New Orleans he sold the boat and the produce. He remained in New Orleans long enough to visit the slave market. He saw black husbands and wives, parents and children torn from each other and separated forever. Speaking about this institution of slavery, Lincoln said to his companions, “If I ever get a chance I will strike that thing and strike it hard!” Our American history is filled with such positive stories that show the gradually growth of our experiment in democracy. There is something touching about these stories that invigorate our patriotism.

Sometimes we are touched socially. In our own day, people are separated socially by “taboos on race with discrimination, segregation, and exploitation” (Halford Luccock, The Interpreter’s Bible, Volume 7, p. 667). In the days of Jesus of Nazareth, some people were segregated from others because they had one of several skin diseases that were lumped under the general term “leprosy.” When Jesus met a man with such a skin disease – a disease that isolated him from others – the record says this: “Jesus was filled with pity, and reached out and touched him” (Mark 1:41, TEV). Think what that touch meant to this lonely, frightened, isolated man!

Sometimes we are touched personally. Myra B. Welch wrote a poem about an old violin. It was being auctioned off. The bids reached three dollars when a man came forward, wiped the dust off, and played the old violin. Suddenly, the bidding jumped to three thousand dollars. Some people asked, “What changed its worth?” The auctioneer replied, “The touch of the master’s hand.” The poet then drew a parallel to how some people are written off as worthless. “But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd, never can quite understand, the worth of a soul, and the change that’s wrought, by the touch of the Master’s hand.”

The Touch of the Master’s Hand

“Twas battered and scared, and the auctioneer Thought it scarcely worth his while To waste much time on the old violin, But he held it up with a smile. “What am I bidden, good folks,” he cried, “Who’ll start bidding for me? A dollar, a dollar – now who’ll make it two _ Two dollars, and who’ll make it three? “Three dollars once, three dollars twice, Going for three”. . . but no! From the room far back a gray-haired man Came forward and picked up the bow; Then wiping the dust from the old violin, And tightening up the strings, He played a melody, pure and sweet, As sweet as an angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer With a voice that was quiet and low, Said: “What am I bidden for the old violin?” And he held it up with the bow; “A thousand dollars – and who’ll make it two? Two thousand – and who’ll make it three? Three thousand once, three thousand twice And going – and gone,” said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried, “We do not quite understand – What changed its worth?” The man replied: “The touch of the masters hand.” And many a man with life out of tune, And battered and torn with sin, Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd. Much like the old violin.

A “mess of pottage,” a glass of wine, A game and he travels on, He’s going once, and going twice – He’s going – and almost gone! But the MASTER comes, and the foolish crowd, Never can quite understand, The worth of a soul, and the change that’s wrought By the touch of the MASTER’S hand.

~Myra B. Welch

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