A corn of wheat dies

On February 3 37-year-old Bruce Morrison was about to give an English lesson in a church hall in Wuchang, Hubei province. A madman rushed into the room and stabbed the young American. He was taken urgently to hospital but was found to have died.

His wife Valori was advised of the incident and came with her six daughters to the Outpatients Department. En route she spoke quietly to the children about the attack and the family resolved to forgive whoever had done this. When they reached the hospital Valori Morrison was informed that Bruce was dead. She said to her daughters, 'Your father has gone to be with Jesus. He is asleep in Jesus's arms.' Turning to the medical worker she said, 'Please contact the killer and tell him that the family has forgiven him and will be praying for him.' Some of the students who had witnessed the murder were at the hospital, deeply upset by what they had witnessed. Valori reminded them of Christ's words that if a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies it brings forth fruit.

Parents of the killer

A month later Valori and her family went to the railway station to return to America. Her parents had flown out upon hearing of Bruce's death and were accompanying her home. A group of local Christians were in the waiting room to see their friends off. It was a sombre atmosphere for they had learned to love this gentle family. They were cheered when Valori assured them that they intended to return to Wuchang in the not too distant future.

In this group of well-wishers was an elderly couple who were strangers to the Christians farewelling the Morrisons. When word got around that they were the parents of the killer there were mixed feelings about their presence. But Valori had invited them to come. When she saw them she took a Bible from her luggage and gave it to them, and sat with them. A photo was taken of the two Chinese sitting with the seven Morrisons.

The picture was taken by Lo Enpu, the Treasurer of the local Zhongnan seminary. In a letter about this he commented, 'This photo has great significance. It speaks of love and reconciliation in a world full of violence, distrust and suspicion. The two families were reconciled in Jesus's love. The picture should be exhibited in a museum of war and peace to be seen by everyone.'

There were feelings of emotion as the train pulled away. Lo remarked in his letter to me, 'We all felt that this parting was temporary. The family will come back because they are so committed to this land and its Christian brothers and sisters.'

Loving & serving

Bruce Morrison was a short-term teacher of English at the Hubei Institute of Technology in Wuchang. When I visited their apartment near this college I noticed that its furnishing were of the simplest. On the walls were Christian slogans and texts for their children to learn. The education which Valori gave her daughters was thorough, with a strong emphasis on living out the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. Clearly the girls were happy and secure in their parents' warm love for them. They enjoyed playing with the Chinese children and could chatter with them fluently.

The whole life of this lovely family was concentrated on loving and serving others. They have given their clothes (which were as good as new) to poor students at the local seminary and to any needy people they met. Bruce and Valori befriended many who were unemployed through changes in government economic policies and gave them assistance. They listened to people who had personality problems and sought to as-sure them of God's love for them. When they moved among such people they were aware of the risks of violence which could erupt due to the psychological condition of such people.

Inside the door of their apartment was a government notice forbidding the occupants to proselytise. When I asked Bruce about this he replied he would always respond to questions from others or invitations to discuss his faith. When he gave classes in English he felt free to explain his personal beliefs.

Sobbing

After one English class in a private home, Bruce said to the group: 'Let us pray for America and pray for families which have broken up, and for children who live with a single parent.' I was told that a few moments later the people could hear him sobbing, and when they looked up they saw that his face was soaked in tears.

Last autumn I sat with the overflow congregation in the quadrangle outside the local church. The Morrison family arrived while the first hymn was being sung - all eight of them! Father was carrying baby Charity and behind him were his five little girls and their mother. The singing around me quietened as the worshippers watched this happy and unusual family with fascination. Six daughters in a land which undervalues such offspring. As soon as the service was over onlookers surrounded this American family - one person holding the baby, another speaking to the girls in Chinese, others asking questions of the proud parents.

If you were to find your way to the Shi Men Feng cemetery in Wuchang on a Sunday morning, you would find a motley group of Chinese standing around the grave of Bruce Morrison. Upon enquiring you would discover that some are students from the seminary whose faith had been strengthened by this teacher's life. Others, dressed in smart clothes given to them by Bruce Morrison, are struggling with unemployment and keenly miss his kindly word. Then there is a family who were neighbours of these friendly Americans.

On the gravestone is an inscription which reads: 'Your gentleness has made me great' (2 Samuel 22.36).

Dr. Norman Cliff, Harold Wood

© Evangelicals Now - August 2001
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