On this Anzac Day here are the remaining snapshots from the book
“War and Grace” by Don Stephens that I mentioned last
week (and 50 more copies have been ordered for St Thomas’).
Last week I summarised stories 1–6.
7. Jacob De Shazer was an American pilot in World
War II who flew the revenge attack on the Japanese for Pearl Harbour.
Forced to parachute into China he was captured by Japanese occupation
soldiers and put in their prison for 3 years and 4 months. Incredible
hardship followed but the prisoners were given books including
a Bible and while reading Romans 10:9 De Shazer was converted.
After release he and his wife served as missionaries in Japan
— including helping the very guard who gave them the Bible
to become a Christian. His story (in tract form) was the one that
led to Mitsuo Fuchida, the Pearl Harbour pilot (one of last week’s
snapshots) becoming a Christian.
8. Ernest Gordon was a Scottish humanist who joined
WWII fighting in Singapore and was captured — spending 3½
years in Changi. Forced to build a railway through the jungles
of Thailand and Burma, in terrible heat, with no proper food or
rest, hundreds and hundreds died. Gordon became so weak and sick
he could encircle his thigh with the fingers of one hand. But
Christian men nursed him and through reading their Bible he was
converted. After the war he was ordained into the ministry and
wrote the famous bestseller “Miracle on the River Kwai”.
9. Rupert Lonsdale was a British submarine commander
in WWII. His submarine struck a mine and sank — and Lonsdale
(a keen Christian) called the men together for prayer. Skilfully
(miraculously) raising the submarine, the crew were nevertheless
captured and imprisoned. After the war Lonsdale became a Christian
minister — his motto was “faith sees through tears”.
10. Donald Cashie was a Scottish Presbyterian serving
in Paris. When Hitler’s troops marched on the city he escaped
to the south of France running a Mission for all who needed protection
and assistance. Eventually arrested and imprisoned he went from
prison to prison and received the death sentence. But he was spared,
released and went back to ministry. His story “The Tartan
Pimpernel” is filled with stories of God’s power.
11. Michiharu Shinya was a Japanese Naval officer
in WWII whose ship was torpedoed leaving Shinya in the sea —
soon to be captured and imprisoned in New Zealand. A minister
with knowledge of Japanese showed him the Isaiah 40:31 promise
and by reading the Bible and other material he was converted.
On release he studied and became Professor of Old Testament at
the Japanese Biblical Seminary.
12. Werner Simonson was a German soldier in WWI
soon captured by the French for five years. Though Jewish and
not interested in Christianity he was converted at the confirmation
service of his niece! He moved to England, studied for ministry
at Ridley College in Cambridge and served in British churches
such as St Luke’s Hampstead.
13. Henry Gerecke was a German-speaking American
who was given the astonishing role of being chaplain to the high-ranking
Nazis in Nuremberg after WWII. Read this chapter to see his ministry
to men like Goering, Hess and Speer — which of them would
listen to him and which of them responded to the gospel. Gerecke
walked ten of these to the gallows — his story is remarkable.
This book is theologically sound, evangelistically useful and engagingly
written.
