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Warren Jones had just retired from a long successful career in
business. He was in good health, but he suddenly found he had
more time on his hands than he could use doing chores around the
house or spending afternoons with his four grandchildren. It was
then that Warren remembered the pastor of his church asking for
volunteers to become covenant partners with the youth who were in
a class preparing to join the church.
As the pastor described the job, it sounded challenging and
rewarding. Each adult covenant partner would meet once a week for
an hour with one of the young people to discuss what they had
both read from the Gospel of Luke. Warren agreed to become a
partner, and was looking forward to his first meeting with a boy
named Sam, one of the few senior highs at the church that Warren
had never met.
In fact, Warren was so excited about his new job that he
arrived at the pastor's office early that evening when he was to
begin his work with Sam. He and the pastor were chatting warmly
about a church canoe trip last spring when a young Korean boy
entered the room. The pastor immediately greeted the boy and then
said, "Warren, I want you to meet your new partner, Sammy Oh.
Sammy and his family just moved here from Korea two years ago,
and we are really delighted that his parents have joined our
church. I just know the two of you will have a great time
together."
For what seemed like an eternity, but was actually only a few
moments, Warren could not even extend his hand to the boy. The
sight of that Korean face brought back a flood of terrifying
memories that Warren had pushed far out of his conscious memory.
Suddenly, he recalled the night when his

plane was shot down over North Korea, how he had somehow managed
to bail out before the plane crashed, and how he had been
captured by North Korean soldiers almost as he hit the ground.
And then came almost two years in a North Korean prison camp --
the bitter cold, the beatings, the terrible loneliness, and the
almost suffocating hatred that he had formed in his heart for all
Koreans. How could he bring himself to work with this young
student over the next few months? How could he possibly read the
Bible with this smiling Korean when the wall of hatred in his
heart was so great?
With a thin smile on his own face, Warren and Sammy went off
to a small classroom at the church for what was to be a weekly
ritual of study and discussion of Luke's gospel. Warren had to
steel himself for this ordeal but he had made a promise, and he
would carry it out.
At their final meeting, Sammy, who had turned out to be more
knowledgeable about the Bible than Warren, handed his partner a
small gift. As Warren fumbled with the package, he was not
prepared for what Sammy was about to say. "Mr. Jones, I am not
sure why, but I know this hasn't been easy for you. I just want
to thank you for spending the time with me. You've made joining
the church really special for me."
Warren could not control the tears that began streaming down
his cheeks. It was as if the wall of hatred within him was
suddenly smashed. Reaching out to embrace this young Korean boy,
he said quietly, "Sammy, it is I who thank you. You've taught me
something very special about the love of God!"