Around the World in 88 Years -E Book - Arthur Burt
Around the World in 88 Years -E Book - Arthur Burt
Around the World in 88 Years -E Book - Arthur Burt
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efore two tribunals, I appealed for release from military duty, asI was actively engaged <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lord’s service. F<strong>in</strong>ally, <strong>in</strong> 1943, Iwas brought before a tribunal <strong>in</strong> London where <strong>the</strong>y mockedand ridiculed me.“I believe God has given me a Word to be what I am, where Iam,” I expla<strong>in</strong>ed to <strong>the</strong>m.“Oh, so you have a golden telephone and are <strong>in</strong> touch with <strong>the</strong>Almighty?” <strong>the</strong>y mocked. “We’ll see about that!” Then <strong>the</strong>y sentencedme to prison for contempt of court. I was to rema<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>prison until I would submit to <strong>the</strong>ir orders to report for militaryduty. Of course, because I believed God wanted me to cont<strong>in</strong>uemy m<strong>in</strong>istry, I wasn’t free to do what <strong>the</strong>y wanted me to do.My first day <strong>in</strong> prison seemed like six months. I sat with my head<strong>in</strong> my hands for three days and three nights, unable to cope withwhat had happened to me. How could I have ended up <strong>in</strong> prisonwhen I was be<strong>in</strong>g obedient to God? I prayed, “Lord, I can’t say‘Amen’ to this.”God wouldn’t give me any light until I changed my attitude. Hehad permitted <strong>in</strong> His wisdom what He could have prevented byHis power. I had to bow at <strong>the</strong> shr<strong>in</strong>e of His wisdom and say,“Amen, Lord. You have allowed this.” Then, even though externallyI was still <strong>in</strong> prison, <strong>in</strong>ternally, I was free.Conscientious objectors, or “conchees” as <strong>the</strong>y were called, werenot very popular dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> war. If you were a healthy s<strong>in</strong>nerand had robbed a bank or hit a policeman over <strong>the</strong> head with abeer bottle, you would have some stand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>side jail. But to bea “bloody conchee” was to be a yellow-livered coward: “Hereyou sit safely while our soldiers are giv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>ir life’s blood for ourcountry and for YOU!”The o<strong>the</strong>rs constantly rem<strong>in</strong>ded us “conchees” of <strong>the</strong>ir low op<strong>in</strong>ionof us. When I deposited my dirty cloth<strong>in</strong>g at <strong>the</strong> cell door, Iwould wait for my clean cloth<strong>in</strong>g to be brought to me. Instead,<strong>the</strong>y would just kick my door and leave me with noth<strong>in</strong>g to puton until <strong>the</strong>y decided I had had enough of <strong>the</strong>ir scorn.No matter what I did, I was wrong. If I did my best to pick <strong>the</strong>potatoes and not miss any <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> garden, <strong>the</strong> guards yelled at mefor be<strong>in</strong>g too slow. If I went faster, <strong>the</strong>y yelled because I missed82