The Touch of the Master's Hand

The Touch of the Master's Hand, also sometimes called "The Old Violin", is a Christian poem written in 1921 by Myra Brooks Welch. The poem has been adapted into a popular Christian song and at least two films.

In the poem, on a hot day at an auction, a "battered and scarred" violin is the last item to be sold; believing it to have little value (but wanting to clear out inventory) the auctioneer starts the bidding at a nominal $1, getting the bid up to $3 before an older gentleman steps up and examines the violin. After a few adjustments, he plays the violin, showing it to be a priceless treasure, after which the auctioneer raises the bid to $1,000 (ultimately getting a $3,000 bid) to the surprise of the crowd. The auctioneer explains that the bid changed due to "the touch of the master's hand" (the older gentleman being able to show the violin's true value). The last stanza explains how people, like the violin, are "battered and scarred" with sin, but with "the touch of the Master's Hand" (God) our true value can be revealed.