Emphasis Preaching Journal

One of the great witnesses of the missionary era in China is the story of a missionary who lost his son to a gang-chief in Shanghai. The young gang-chief had sought to prove his courage and leadership by killing the son of a Western missionary. Eventually the young man was brought to trial by the authorities.

When the missionary, the dead boy's father, came to the stand he did an amazing thing. He said he forgave the young man for killing his son, but he still wanted restitution. He asked that the young murderer be handed over into his custody to be raised as his own son.