The Towel and the Basin

Acts 2: 42-47 describes with amazing clarity a community of followers that was so attractive, so meaningful and so obviously inclusive and compassionate that "it's numbers were added to daily". I'm sure that this was all due to presence of an all to rare commodity in today's churches. That of following the model of Christ the servant - need I say any more. COMM-UNITY was a service to challenge us to follow the path of servanthood. This piece of writing by A. E. Whitham was as good a starting place as any.

I was dreaming that I was treading the streets of the Holy City, pottering about like a tourist. In my wandering, I came upon the museum of that city of dreams. I went in, and a courteous attendant conducted me round. There was some old armour there, much bruised with battle. Many things were conspicuous by there absence. I saw nothing of Alexander's nor of Napoleon's. There was no Pope's ring, nor even the ink bottle that Luther is said to have thrown at the Devil, nor Wesley's seal and keys. I saw a widow's mite and the feather of a little bird. I saw some swaddling clothes, a hammer, three nails and a few thorns. I saw a bit of a fishing net and the broken oar of a boat. I saw a sponge that had once been dipped in vinegar and a small piece of silver. But I cannot enumerate all I saw, nor describe all I felt. Whilst I was turning over a common drinking cup which has a very honourable place, I whispered to the attendant, "Have you not got a towel and a basin among your collection?" "No," he said, "not here; you see they are in constant use." Then I knew I was in Heaven, in the Holy City, and amid the redeemed society.