There Was No Reason to Say to Him, "There Is a Problem"
I remember once in an elders' meeting—I have forgotten which service's planning timetable was being discussed—when Brother Wu heard it, he said, "Then those of us at this age won't live to see it!" The whole gathering laughed in reply, "There are still the young responsible brothers; they will see it!" Brother Wu was momentarily struck dumb and said no more. Now, looking back, in everything Brother Wu was a man who valued efficiency; nothing could be dragged out, done at a leisurely, unhurried pace, or put off and finished later!
Brother Wu's diligence was always manifested in matters unknown to others. At the gatherings of several thousand at the trainings in the United States, he was never heard to rise up and share. I remember once at the Elders' Training in Anaheim, because the Chinese translation manuscript had to be finalized by the translating saints after the previous night's message was completed, then photocopied and bound into copies, so that early the next morning the attendees could pick them up for review. Around six o'clock I walked to the door of his room; his door was half open, and I pushed it open and went in, and I saw that Brother Wu was already fully dressed, his necktie tied, leaning against the side of his bed, his eyes bright and full of spirit, waiting for the brothers to come and take the manuscripts. Each printed copy of the message was neatly opened and arranged in a fan shape on the bedside table, and I took the copy I was due to take. To this day this impression is still deeply imprinted in my mind, and this kind of moving impression cannot be compared with rising up in a meeting of a thousand people to share in fluent words. This is faithfulness, watchfulness, being girded and trimmed, waiting for the Lord's coming.
He had none of the arrogance or haughtiness of a so-called spiritual giant; though he was tall and burly in stature, he never put on airs, but rather was soft and pliable. In the fellowship among the many elders, responsible brothers, and full-time serving ones, there were often deadlocked situations, where some felt it should be this way and others that way; truthfully, apart from overturning the table, there was almost no way to resolve it. But Brother Wu always respected the differing voices (although we often stress that we should speak the same thing and think the same thing); he would not demand that everyone act according to a fixed rule, expelling those who violated it. Some had opinions about the offerings for the overseas propagation and would not say "Amen" to the project, considering only how to take care of the increase of their own hall. Brother Wu would only remain silent; and by the year's end he would always take what certain halls had in surplus to fill up what others lacked. When the new year came, it was like the year of jubilee—everything reset to zero, all passed over with a "Hallelujah," so that everyone, under his own accountability to the Lord, could continue to go on together without further calculation.
Around 2014, I had a burden for the East District of the Church in Taipei to take up the care of Cambodia in Southeast Asia. In November 2013, forty-four saints from the East District of Taipei went as a group to Cambodia for their first blending. Driving all the way to the church in Battambang, they were received with warm hospitality by the local church. A Cambodian sister named Mara stood up and said, "We do not welcome you to come and blend, but we very much welcome you to come and live here permanently, to live the church life together with us." My heart was instantly pricked beyond measure, and for a long while I could not recover myself. In Taiwan we people are "packed and crowded," yet we cannot squeeze out a single person able to migrate! Batch after batch of saints come to blend, most of them shouting the slogan that we will come back again, and the result is that they wait until their eyes are worn out—no one comes! I resolved to change their impression of the Taiwan saints—that the Taiwan saints are not people who cannot pay the price and only speak fine words to suit the occasion (which is in fact a well-meaning lie)!
After returning to Taiwan, I sought out Brother Wu to fellowship, saying that I felt I should hand the baton to the young ones and withdraw from the service of a responsible brother. He said: the service of the church has no retirement. There are only two ways for an elder to retire: one is to depart the world, and then one naturally withdraws; the other is to move away. I said I wanted to go to Cambodia, and he immediately said "Amen." And so I withdrew! He also agreed to take responsibility for coordinating and arranging the service of our hall. Brother Wu's gentleness and his openness to communication have remained deeply imprinted in my heart all along. Thus one also sees that his serving the Lord had no ceasing, no retirement. It was not that, having reached retirement age (he was long past sixty-five), he would, as a matter of course, stay at home dandling his grandchildren, sorting old photographs, and preparing for the future memorial meeting. Brother Wu's faithfulness made it plain: only when he departed the world could he rest from his labor for the Lord!
At the love feast for the establishment meeting of Hall Seventy, increased out of Hall Twenty-five of the Church in Taipei, he also came personally to the gathering and fellowshipped: "I hope everyone will continue to labor and prepare to increase another hall!" It truly left people dumbfounded! Will it never end? In all honesty, in certain ways of going on in the church I held a view different from his. I too took part in the grand gathering that day; I had just returned to Taiwan from Cambodia for a short blending, and I was sitting at a table near the door with the few Taiwanese business saints who had returned from Cambodia. As he was leaving early, he actually walked over to our table to shake hands and exchange warm words with me, and I suddenly sensed his thoughtfulness and humility. That a useless, last member in the Lord like me was still kept on his heart—I could not help feeling that what he was explained what he did.
I am one trained in scientific research, and profound research technology is not something a layman can glance at and presume to understand. Truly high-end technology is such that, after an expert has looked it over, he scratches his head, lets out a sigh, and says, "How could a man have done this?" Knowing the difficulty, he retreats and turns away. Is Brother Paul Wu one who won his name undeservedly—one of whom people may glibly and lightly say, "What he did, I could do too"?
Revelation 14:13 says, "...the Spirit says, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them." Brother Wu's works followed with him even after he fell asleep. There may be those who, full of eagerness, are already rubbing their fists and rolling up their sleeves, preparing to vie to take over the work in Brother Wu's hands. But after hearing the sharing at Brother Paul Wu's memorial meeting, they may again hesitate or change their minds, for this is truly not something a man can do!
I have been in Phnom Penh, going back and forth between Taiwan and Cambodia, for four years now! Measured by Brother Wu's standard, truly only two words can describe me: "ashamed." Although I have not taken any supply, this is truly not a matter of money! It is a matter of "attitude." Although I too am old, and my physical strength gradually feels insufficient, I am at least three years younger than Brother Wu. No wonder that once, when my wife and I went to Battambang, Sister Mara still ignored me. She said, "You have reached Phnom Penh, but you still have not come to Battambang!"
In the past I went to Finland on a business trip, and the responsible brother in Helsinki dragged me along, giving the whole small-group meeting over to me, his home filled with invited saints. I went to Slovakia, and the American brother in the propagation said, "Brother, do you know what you should do?" I said, "Do what?" He said, "Migrate!" Dear brothers and sisters, how great is the Lord's need over all the earth!
We cannot, but God can. The young ones say, "I have no money," but the Lord has. The older ones say, "I am old," but the Lord says, "I will keep you ever green and flourishing!" Not a single person can have any excuse! We must listen to what God says. The turmoil of this present age can be put this way: it is true! The last days are near, and the morning star is about to rise. What is lacking? Only the great wind of the Holy Spirit, to raise up several hundred thousand "young heroes" (if you say you are, then you are!), to set up the golden lampstands in every place, and to build up the universal Body of Christ. The Lord's parousia is about to come! We do not mean to make Brother Wu an idol, but we deeply desire that we may all have Brother Paul Wu's attitude and capacity for action—we can only be stronger than he, and there is no reason to say to dear Brother Wu, "There is a problem!" Otherwise no one will be able to take up his unfinished work, that is, the work which Brothers Nee and Lee committed to us.