Brother John, a devoted missionary...
Illustration
Brother John, a devoted missionary, had labored for more than 50 years in a southern area of Africa, resulting in several churches and many converts. At his death, hundreds gathered for his funeral, held in the open near one of the churches he had organized. One of Brother John's church superiors from America was chosen to deliver the funeral sermon, and stood at a makeshift altar near the casket. As the bishop began his address, the crowd of natives began to shift their positions on the ground to allow an old warrior chief, carrying a spear, to make his way through the multitude of people. Standing in front of the coffin, the old chief ceremoniously broke the spear in two parts and placed them on the casket. He then sat on the ground to face the crowd as tears fell from his eyes. The bishop abruptly ended his sermon and moved to sit beside the chief.
Later, one of the bishop's friends asked him why he had not continued his eulogy. "Because," the bishop said, "Brother John had prayed all these years for the conversion of that old warrior chief. He has been responsible for many wars and much suffering. Just before his death, Brother John went into the hills to again visit the chief with the message of Christ. Today, the fruit of those prayers and visits was realized. As I stood to preach, I had before me a five-page eulogy, but when that old chief broke his bloody spear and cried over Brother John, he nullified my sermon, and in fact gave one of his own by illustrating the words of Jesus to 'love God with heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.' Brother John not only preached those words, he lived them, as was evidenced today."
- Byrd
Later, one of the bishop's friends asked him why he had not continued his eulogy. "Because," the bishop said, "Brother John had prayed all these years for the conversion of that old warrior chief. He has been responsible for many wars and much suffering. Just before his death, Brother John went into the hills to again visit the chief with the message of Christ. Today, the fruit of those prayers and visits was realized. As I stood to preach, I had before me a five-page eulogy, but when that old chief broke his bloody spear and cried over Brother John, he nullified my sermon, and in fact gave one of his own by illustrating the words of Jesus to 'love God with heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.' Brother John not only preached those words, he lived them, as was evidenced today."
- Byrd
