A Dynamic Experience of Old-fashioned Religion

       There have been several books and articles written about Dr. John Sung in Chinese and English.  The outstanding book is by Leslie T. Lyall:  "John Sung, Flame for God in the Far East."  I recommend that everyone read Lyall's book.  It tells much about Dr. Sung and his ministry.  But Mr. Lyall did not have personal acquaintance with John Sung, and there are many things which he did not know about him.  Also, there are some things which Dr. Sung told me in confidence, which he did not want published at that time, because he said they were so strange that people would think he was crazy.  And he had a reason for that fear.

       After he found the Lord, and had that wonderful experience of the visible presence of Jesus in New York City in 1927, some people thought he was mentally unbalanced, and he spent some time in an asylum, until the Chinese consul got him out and sent him back to China.  I later met this Chinese consul when we stayed together at the old Missionary Home on North Szechuen Road in Shanghai.  I asked him if John Sung was a little bit "off " at that time in New York City.  He told me, "No, Mr. Schubert, he was no more crazy than you or I, but he had such a good case of real, old-fashioned religion, and it was so unusual there, that they thought he was crazy."