Cambridge Water Shortage: 1940s Communist Leader Converts After Christian Classmate Shows Restraint

A severe winter in Cambridge, England, during the 1946-47 academic year created a conflict over basic hygiene. Water pipes partially froze, causing a shortage that limited female students to one bath per week. The restriction led to long lines and frequent disputes among the students.

The tension in the queue affected a young woman serving as the Secretary of the local Communist Party. She joined the line and, like others, grumbled and jockeyed for a better position. She observed a fellow student who had direct access to the bathroom. This student was a Christian. She did not assert her rights or respond aggressively to the selfishness of those around her. Instead, she practiced the gentle behavior the Communist leader claimed to believe but rarely displayed.

The observation triggered a conversation between the two women. This exchange led to the Communist party secretary's conversion. She eventually became a missionary in the Far East. Her story is cited in a recent religious article as an example of overcoming negative impulses through positive action.

The article argues that using evil words or deeds to defeat evil consumes the individual. It states that evil is doubled rather than negated when met with a similar force. The writer suggests that losing control during a conflict means the individual has been defeated by the situation rather than the specific person involved. The text references Romans 12:21, which advises believers to overcome evil with good.

The piece notes that popular culture often promotes the idea of standing together to defeat ills. It argues this approach lacks the necessary power to succeed. The writer asserts that individuals cannot overcome evil on their own. The text cites Romans 8:37 to support the claim that believers are more than conquerors only through the one who loved them.

The article describes the path of Jesus as a model for this behavior. It states that he did not take vengeance into his own hands but entrusted himself to the Father. The cross is presented as the moment where love triumphed over evil. The writer encourages readers to meet wrongs with rights, slights with kindness, and negativity with blessing.

The text concludes by quoting a hymn written by Charles Tindley. The lyrics state that with God's word as a sword, the believer will overcome some day. The final line of the article promises that by grace, individuals will overcome the challenges and injustices of the world.