One night a number of years ago, an Italian pastor and his wife were awakened by someone knocking at the door. The husband got up and called out “Who is there?” A man answered saying, “You do not know me, but I have heard of you, and that you are Christians. Could you take me in for the night?” The door was opened and the stranger came in saying, as he entered, “Do not be afraid of me for I have just been released from prison. I would like to tell you my story.” Permission being given, he said, “Some time ago I was falsely accused of a great crime and condemned to a long term of imprisonment. The man who gave false witness against me was the man who had done the deed himself. In my lonely cell my time was spent in thinking how I would vindicate my enemy, and a terrible revenge filled my heart, so that I longed to be free from prison to carry out the awful desire to kill the man who had so wickedly accused me. I was determined to find him at all costs, and if possible kin not only the man, but his wife and children. While in this state of mind, I was put into another cell, and on looking round saw in a corner a little book on the floor. I picked it up and found it was a New Testament. I began at once to read it during the long, lonely hours. I read through the gospels, the life and death of the Lord Jesus, and as I thought of His sufferings He the Just One for the unjust, of His praying for His murderers, my heart was broken and I wept tears of penitence, I said to myself, ‘Although I have not done the deed for which I am imprisoned, yet I am a sinner, and Jesus died for me.’ Oh, how different I am, how wicked with all these evil thoughts in my mind. God in His mercy healed my broken heart, and gave me peace, and oh, what a change came over me. I still longed to be liberated, and also to find my false accuser, but not to have my revenge, but to speak to him about the love of God, and the Saviour I had found, hoping that he too will be saved.”
The poor ex-prisoner was received into the house of the Italian pastor and his wife, and treated with kindness. The next day at the little weekly meeting he was asked to tell his experience and conversion which he did and then poured out his heart in prayer with such power that all were touched. Soon after he left on the little steamer for his home in Sicily, on his errand of love. Quite a number gathered to see him start, rejoicing that a miracle had been wrought in his heart, filling it with the love of God even for his greatest enemy.