FIRE WITHIN
By Wu Yung
OM/OMF Publishing. 320 pages
ISBN 1 85078 355 1
Wu Yung's early years were marked by rebellion and passionate patriotism, trouble with the authorities and an extraordinary ability to lead. Forced to leave his home in Singapore, Wu Yung ended up in Taiwan where he was converted. He began teaching others about the Christian faith right from the start and, in time, went on to establish a church, a theological college and a Christian training centre.
He recounts significant events (such as his miraculous recovery from inoperable cancer) and some spiritual lessons learnt along the way (such as the challenges of living with financial insecurity). His great desire in his life - and in writing this autobiography - is to bring glory to Christ. His zeal, commitment to Christ and gospel ministry, his humility, faith and hard work do just that. And he ends with a touching tribute to his wife's godly contribution.
Although I am reluctant to say anything critical of 'one of Asian's foremost Christian leaders', I have to confess that I do not share his understanding of how to interpret the Bible (as the context is often disregarded) or his convictions about revelation (since he gives equal weight to his own dreams and visions and the Bible, for example). I would therefore be hesitant about recommending it to a young Christian (despite being a great fan of OMF biographies generally). Having said that, it was fascinating to read about the growth of the church in this part of the world and I was very challenged by Wu Yung's outstanding zeal and uncompromising commitment to Christ.
