February, 1941
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
46
... Brave Amid Bombs By HERBERT LOCKYER
Relatives in Danger My sister-in-law, living in London, has had some harrowing experiences. She describes widespread destruction all around her. “ Our little home has been shat tered, but when I look around at other houses, I am grateful that our house is still standing, and that dear R ........... [her husband] is still living. The last few nights have not been so good, but we thank God as each new morning comes around that we have been spared to face Hfe together . . . I have not had my clothes off for almost two months.” Our own dear d a u g h t e r , whose home life and happiness, with that of thousands of others, have been serious ly disrupted, sends us encouraging let ters. When she had been married a year, the war came, and her husband had to leave home and business. When we left for America some eighteen months ago, our children decided to remain in our home and care for it while Mrs. Lock* yer and I remained in this hospitable land. But plans have gone to pieces. Liverpool has been badly broken by constant air raids. A bomb dropped just outside our garden but did not ex plode. Houses and buildings . around are in ruins. Our daughter, being alone, decided to close up the house and live with friends in a safer town. She writes: . “If I were not a Christian at a time like this, I would go mad. But I leave e v e r y t h i n g with God, • knowing that He will care for me . . . He is on the throne, and will remember His own . . . Our church has two big holes in its roof, and services have been suspended . . , Hundreds do not know what it is to go to bed. They are in shelters from seven at night until five the next morning. How we are going to face the winter concerns many of us.” Here are one or two lines from my sister’s long and welcome letter: “We have not been to bed now for six weeks. I do not know if we shall get in between the bed clothes this side of Christmas . . . We thank God He has spared us all and our loved ones . . . All our windows are out and the tiles are gone from the roof. We are all boarded up. Houses all around have been reduced to ashes . . . The shelters are difficult places to rest in, as they are not very big. One can only sit up in them. My .knees are almost black with cramps and rheumatism . . . God gives us strength and courage to face danger . . . Pray! Pray! Pray! God hears and answers pray er.”. My spiritual father, who led me to [Continued on Page 50]
a shelter, writes that he would go mad if it were not for the Lord’s sustaining grace. Expressing that great comfort is his in passages like Isaiah 26:3, 4, he goes on to quote the lines: “No bomb above, nor mine below, Need cause my heart one pang of woe. The Lord of Hosts encircles me, He is the Lord of earth and sea.” And, truly, people with a faith 'and confidence like that are unconquerable. Bombs may destroy their homes, kill their dear ones, and demolish their historic and beautiful buildings, but they can never extinguish their spirit. From one of our dear Liverpool friends comes another courageous mes sage, in* which she tells us of our own home church being bombed, and of members whom we knew being killed. Here are some excerpts from her letter: , “As one sits down to answer let ters, the sirens blow and we have to get ready for the shelter. . . Another warning, so I shall have to stop and finish your letter some other time. We cannot cook a meal or even eat one without be ing disturbed. . . We have been “-in the shelter every night this week. . . . It is cruel to see our homes broken up. . . Sunday afternoon— and we have just had another air warning. This morning at church the minister asked us to sing the following lines , to the tune of ‘Looking this Way’ : ’God is our refuge, be not afraid; He will be with you through all E the raid. When bombs are falling and danger is near, He will protect you till all is clear.’ . . . When the bombs fall, they al most knock you off your feet. . . , We try to be brave. God is still on the throne.” In Bradford, England, was my last pastorate, so it was with deep interest that I received a descriptive note from a member of my former charge. In it she told of how the beautiful church we ministered in for many years had been badly damaged by bombs. This friend herself is one of those brave city missionaries who, amid constant danger, are exercising a marvelous ministry of comfort. She writes: V
“We had the raiders here . . . Shops, mills, and houses have been destroyed. All the windows round about were blown out. Your church is badly hit . . . The Lord certainly worked a miracle, for there was only one woman killed and a few badly injured . . . I think it will be at the Saviour’s feet that we shall meet next time. Thank you for your prayers. I do need them.” The Plight of the Aged From a retired Liverpool missionary, -who is now almost eighty-three years of age, a sweet letter came the other day. After describing the anguish of things in my home city, he says: “We must keep looking tip and be brave . . . So many need a word these days . . . The ministers are giving us faithful messages. The meetings keep up fairly well . . . I am too old to write more now.” Beloved, let us pray for the aged people in Britain who are not able to stand up to the strain of things. It is hard for those who are infirm to be robbed of peace and comfort. The suf ferings of the old are beyond descrip tion. As we have aged parents in London, you can imagine our eagerness to hear from them. Mrs. Lockyer’s mother lives in the London area. She is more than fourscore years of age, and she finds it hard going to stand up against the nightly onslaught of enemy bombers. About three miles from her, my parents are located. Mother and Father are showing wonderful courage. Father writes: "Just a line to let you know how ’ we are keeping and bearing up in this terrible war that is raging here. There is nothing but destruc tion of innocent people and children. We have had a bad time of it. Night after night we have to run to our shelter. Yet we are grateful to the Lord for sparing us. We never know who are to .be the next victims. We can only keep praying that the good Lord will soon bring us through this grim struggle vic torious . . . I am making night lights out of old tin cans for people to use during the blackouts. So I am doing my bit for the old coun try . . . Keep on praying that the Lord will continue to guard us.”
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