“Christ Has No Hands But Ours”

“After WW II German students volunteered to help rebuild a European church that had been destroyed by bombs. As the work progressed, debate broke out on how to best to 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? The workers reached a decision that still stands today. The statue of Jesus has no hands, and the inscription now reads ‘Christ has no hands but ours’” (Paul Brand and Philip Yancey, Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: The Marvel of Bearing God’s Image [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2019], 251).