In Chungking, China, in November...
Illustration
Object:
In Chungking, China, in November 1950, Methodist missionary, Francis Olin Stockwell,
was sitting down to his evening meal when the Red China police arrived. He kissed his
wife good-bye. He then picked up his New Testament and left for what he thought would
be about five days in jail. It lasted almost two years.
He had almost no privileges, but he was allowed to write letters. He knew the letters would be read and censored by the Red guards, so he wrote only things he knew they would allow. He always added one word after his signature, "Immanuel," which was left uncensored. But to his Christian friends, it meant, "God is with me," based on Isaiah 7:14. One of the names given Jesus was Immanuel. Can you add Immanuel to the record of your life? Sometimes we cry out, as Olin did, and help is slow to come. Hopefully, we can add as he did to the story of our life, "God is with us!"
He had almost no privileges, but he was allowed to write letters. He knew the letters would be read and censored by the Red guards, so he wrote only things he knew they would allow. He always added one word after his signature, "Immanuel," which was left uncensored. But to his Christian friends, it meant, "God is with me," based on Isaiah 7:14. One of the names given Jesus was Immanuel. Can you add Immanuel to the record of your life? Sometimes we cry out, as Olin did, and help is slow to come. Hopefully, we can add as he did to the story of our life, "God is with us!"
