The CALL. An American Missionary in China. by Hersey John

Author:Hersey, John. [Hersey, John.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B0010ZJPXM
Goodreads: 136108559
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 1985-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

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A NEW bamboo-framed mat shed goes up in Little France. It is to be a Y hut, just like those in France. Treadup rushes around, supervising Y.M.C.A. students who are doing the actual work. On his own initiative and without clearing it with the National Committee, Treadup has raised the money for this project from one man, Mr. Hsieh, the silk filature owner, a Christian.

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DAVID LIU stood in the doorway of Treadup’s office. “He had that certain look of geniality which I instantly recognized as a signal of trouble.” Liu asked Treadup to take a walk with him. Treadup knew this meant Liu wanted to get away from all ears.

They walked on the Bund. As always they talked in English. Liu said he had had a confidential letter from Todd in New York which was extremely disturbing. It was not easy to speak of its contents. The two men walked as far as the Customs House without further words. Treadup observed the ceremonial silence of Chinese courtesy. Finally Liu said, “You have been my good friend.” (Treadup’s translation: “This is going to be very unpleasant.”) Liu said, “I know you, and there is nothing to worry about.” (Translation: “I am worried sick. I have begun to lose my trust in you.”)

Here Treadup could wait no longer, and the blunt American in him spoke out: “Come to the point, friend David. What did Todd write?”

Liu said that the International Committee was considering the question of sending out an industrial secretary. The cost would be heavy. They had some other questions….

“David! David! What did he really write?”

Moratorium. Pacing. Then:

Todd had written that since David Treadup’s return to China, three different missionary groups had asked the International Committee to withdraw him from the field.

The most importunate had been that new organization, the China Bible Union, which had written—and here David Liu reeled off complaints he seemed long since to have memorized in pain—that Brother Treadup was a Godless modernist who through his lectures on secular science called in question every one of the saving truths of the Holy Word, such as and even including the deity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His atoning sacrifice for sin, and His bodily resurrection from the dead, as well as the miracles both of the Old and New Testament, the personality and work of the Holy Spirit, and above all the necessity of the new birth of the individual as a prerequisite to Christian social service—“and so on and so on and so on,” Liu said. Oh, and the creation of the universe, and of man in the image of God from the dust of the ground, and of woman from a rib of the man.

“Makes me out to be mighty eloquent,” David said, “to wipe all that out”—then realized that sarcasm was in the circumstances his worst possible resort. Liu walked on, very pale.

Liu finally said the second complaint had been in his opinion much more serious.

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