Wednesday, March 07, 2007

God in His providence has not allowed the survival of
actual physical objects. But we have infinitely more than
this, for instead of dead relics, however "authentic" and well
preserved, we have a living life-line, stretching unbroken to
Christ Himself. We have all the comfort and security that
comes from historic tradition, but instead of being given the
sad nostalgia of looking at an object and saying, "Look, how
wonderful! This is what He touched then," we are given an
evergreen memorial [in communion] which says,

"This is what He
touches now."

J. B. Phillips (1906-1982), Appointment with God
[1956]