Daily Devotion

“Myriads of them, and one white-faced, retiring, half-afraid young man! ... Fortunately the conceit is not limited to one side. ... However much [the Chinese] may hitherto have disliked change, he nevertheless does change, and, as time passes, both he and the youth lose something of their inherent self-conceit, and fill the empty corner with mutual respect and even esteem.”

William Edward Soothill · A Mission in China (Edinburgh and London: Oliphant, Anderson & Ferrier, 1907), ch. "Pioneering," pp. 14-15

Scripture

1 Corinthians 9:22-23 I have become weak to the weak, so that I may win them. I have become all of myself to all people, so that I may save some by any means. All that I do is for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its benefits.

Reflection

Paul, for the sake of the gospel, "behaved to all kinds of people," and William Soothill, out of love, went to a foreign land, learned the Wenzhou dialect and translated the New Testament into it. Faith is never a condescending doctrine, but a life of humility and compassion. We often use our own standards to judge others, forgetting that true love requires lowering ourselves and entering the other person's world. Only by willingly humbling ourselves and listening with empathy and warmth can we break down the walls in our hearts and share the sweetness of the gospel with those around us in love.