One Who Did Not Love His Own Soul-Life
In my impression, the first time I spoke with Brother Wu went like this: "How is your big brother, XXX?"
This was already more than twenty years ago! At the time I was both pleasantly surprised and moved—pleasantly surprised, because only then did I learn that Brother Wu and my elder brother had once shared the church life together! And moved, because in the church he was the first, and the only, brother who ever inquired after my elder brother!
Later I emigrated to Canada and also met Brother Wu at many meeting occasions in North America; each time we passed by one another, I would always recall his greeting.
Recalling the years of the church life in Taiwan, dear Brother Wu was not a brother who played the role of one who spoke eloquently and drew the gaze of the crowd from the platform. But what was most marvelous was that at every meeting, when the moment came to test the saints' faith, he would always appear and give the saints a timely word of encouragement, stirring people up!
That year, when the church in Richmond was just about to build a meeting hall, Brother Wu hurried to Canada, and after his simple yet wisdom-filled expression, the hearts of the saints were all opened! What had seemed a difficult obstacle was thus crossed over just like that! Through this we too had a share in the grace of that occasion.
In the past years, in the perfecting trainings for Chinese-speaking students in America, we often saw Brother Wu's participation and support as well. Especially whenever the student saints from the various campuses were about to declare the number of people they would bring to salvation in the coming year, it was always in Brother Wu's correcting and encouraging that they received adjustment! We seemed to hear him say, "You are thinking far too little of the Lord!" And indeed it was so! Brother Wu always had a broader seeing and faith! In his joy-filled encouragement, the saints would each time be both glad and willing to enjoy the inspiration the brother gave. Afterward, when we made our own budgets, we would therefore always think: if it were Brother Wu, how would he see it?
These past years, here in this place, we have missed him very much. The most recent thing we heard about him was the joyful news that several responsible brothers from Canada went to Taiwan to visit in 2019; after they returned, they called a special conference and fellowshipped with the saints throughout the Greater Vancouver area. When they spoke of Brother Wu, the gist was this: at the time Brother Wu was staying in the hospital, but because he was so concerned for the churches in Canada, he still came calmly, with tubes attached, from the hospital to fellowship with the brothers! Hearing this, we sensed how greatly Brother Wu was concerned for the Lord's interests! He truly did not love his own soul-life, seeking nothing for himself!