William Dixon was a widower who lived in Brackenthwaite, England. In addition to losing his wife, he had also lost his only son.
One day the house of his neighbor caught on fire. His neighbor, an elderly grandmother who was caring for her orphaned grandson, was able to get out. Her grandson, however, was trapped inside the house.
Dixon climbed an iron pipe on the side of the house and lowered the boy to safety. Unfortunately, the hand that held on to the pipe was badly burned.
Shortly after the fire, the grandmother died and town council gathered to decide who would care for her grandson. Two volunteers appeared before the council. One was a father who had lost his own son and volunteered to adopt the orphan as his own.
The other volunteer was William Dixon. When it was his turn to speak, instead of saying anything he merely held up his scarred hand. When the vote was taken, the boy was given to him.
How do you know God loves you? When we celebrate communion, we celebrate the scars of Jesus. The bread representing his broken body and the cup his shed blood.