The One Year Bible - Day 253

I was thinking last night about the distinction between the spoken word and touch when used in ministry. The spoken word relates to authority who is embodied into the person of Christ, "The Word" and we read many times of Jesus exercising authority in His words. In fact, most of our authority in society is encapsulated in words, whether the oath we take in Court or the words used by the Police when you are arrested. Touch, however, is fundamentally about life and we also read of Jesus' touch that gives life to people, "contagious holiness" if you like. It is this that Isaiah experiences in chapter 6 when he is touched by a coal from the altar and this gives him life by taking away his guilt.