A number of years ago, in a London church, the Sunday morning service was about to close when a stranger rose and said, "Excuse me Pastor, can I share something with the congregation?" "I've just moved into this area," the man related. "I come originally from Sydney in Australia, and just a few months ago I was back visiting some relatives there, and as I was walking down George Street, a strange-looking white-haired man, stepped out of a shop doorway, put a pamphlet in my hand and said, "Excuse me sir, are you saved? If you die tonight are you going to Heaven?" I was astounded at those words. No one had ever asked me that. I thanked him courteously, but all the way back to Heathrow Airport this question puzzled me. I then called with a friend, and, thank God, he was a Christian. He led me to Christ, and now that I'm a Christian, I want to fellowship here. That very same Pastor happened to be flying out to Adelaide that week. During a series of meetings there, a woman came to him for counselling and he asked if she was a Christian. "I used to live in Sydney." she told him, "and just a couple of months back I was visiting friends there. As I did some last minute shopping down George Street, a strange little white-haired man stepped out of a shop doorway, offered me a pamphlet and said. "Excuse me ma'am, are you saved? If you die tonight are you going to Heaven?' Those words disturbed me. When I got back to Adelaide, I sought out the Pastor from a church I know and I became a Christian." This London minister was now very impressed! Twice within a fortnight he had heard the same story.
Next he flew to preach in Perth. After he had concluded his engagements there, a friend took him out for a meal. During their conversation, the Pastor asked his friend how he became a Christian. "I grew up in the church from the age of fifteen, through the Boys' Brigade. I never made a commitment to Jesus, but because of my business ability. I grew up to occupy a place of influence. I was on a business outing in Sydney just three years ago when an obnoxious, little man stepped out of a shop doorway, offered me a religious pamphlet—cheap junk (as I then thought)—and accosted me with a question," Excuse me sir, are you saved? If you die tonight are you going to Heaven?' I tried to tell him I was a church elder, but he wouldn't listen to me. I was seething with anger all the way back to Perth. I told my Pastor, thinking he would sympathise with me, but he agreed! He said he had been disturbed for me for years, believing that I hadn't a real faith. He was right."
On his return home, this Pastor spoke at the Keswick Convention in Cumbria. In his message he related these three stories. At the end of his meeting two elderly pastors came up to him, and, to his amazement, shared how they had been saved between twenty-five and. thirty-five years previously through that little man on George Street giving them a tract and asking them a question!
The following week he flew out to a missionary Convention in the Caribbean. Again he shared these stories; and, at the close, three missionaries came up and said that they too had been saved between fifteen and twenty-five years previously through that little man's asking the same question on George Street in Sydney!
En route to London, he addressed a Naval Chaplain's Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. Afterwards, the Chaplain General took him out for a meal. "How did you become a Christian?" the Pastor asked. "It was miraculous," the Chaplain replied, "I was on a US battleship, living a godless life. We were doing exercises in the South Pacific when we docked in Sydney harbour for replenishments. I got blind drunk, got on the wrong bus got off at George Street, and as I got off the bus, I thought I saw a ghost. This white-haired man jumped in front of me, pushed a pamphlet into my hand and said, "Sailor, are you saved? If you die tonight are you going to Heaven?” The fear of God gripped me. I was shocked sober, ran back to the ship, and sought out the Chaplain. The Chaplain pointed me to Jesus, and soon I began to prepare for the ministry. And now, here I am today, in charge of over a thousand chaplains."
Six months later, this London preacher flew out to a remote corner of NE India to take part in a convention for five thousand missionaries. The Indian missionary in charge took him to his humble little home for a simple meal. "How did you, as a Hindu, come to Christ?" the Pastor enquired. "I was in a very privileged position," he answered. "I worked for the Indian Diplomatic Mission and travelled the world... One bout of diplomatic service took me to Sydney. I was doing some last minute shopping, laden with parcels of toys and clothing for my children, and as I was walking down George Street, this courteous little white-haired man stepped out in front of me, offered me a leaflet and said, “Excuse me sir, are you saved? If you die tonight, will you go to Heaven?” I thanked him very much, but this disturbed me. When I got back home, I sought out the Hindu priest, but he couldn't help me. But he gave me some advice. He told me, in order to satisfy my curious mind, to go and talk to the missionary in the mission house at the end of the road. That was fateful advice. That day the missionary led me to Christ. I quit Hinduism immediately, and began to study for the ministry. I left the diplomatic service, and here I am, by God's grace, looking after all these missionaries..."
Eight months later, the pastor had the opportunity himself to minister in Sydney. He asked his host, "Do you know a little man who witnesses and hands out tracts on George Street?" He replied, "I do. His name is Frank Jenner. I don't think he does it anymore. He's now rather frail and elderly." The London minister said, "I want to meet him."
They went round to his little apartment, and Frank opened the door. He sat them down, made them some tea. As he sat with them, this London preacher told him all the accounts he had heard over the previous three years. The little man sat with tears running down his cheeks. Then he shared his story.
He said, "My story goes like this. I served on board an Australian warship and lived a sinful life. A crisis came and I really hit the wall, but one of my colleagues, whom I had given a really hard time, was there to help me. He led me to Jesus, and the change in my life was like night turned to day in twenty-four hours. I was so grateful to God that I promised Him that I would share my story with at least ten people a day as God gave me strength. Sometimes I was ill and I couldn't do it but I made up for it at other times. I got lots of rejections, but a lot of people took the tracts. In forty years of doing this I never heard of anyone becoming a Christian until today."
Two weeks later Mr Jenner died.
The Butterfly Effect: The phenomenon whereby a minute localized change in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere.