Rev. E. Anderson
Bible saves stabbing victim
By Matthew Murray
A teenager escaped serious injury when knife-wielding yobs stabbed a BIBLE in his pocket.
The teenager regularly attends a Christian youth group held at Emmanuel Christian Centre in Walthamstow, London.
And pastor Dez Brown from the church believes God spared the boy, who he has asked us not to name, from further injury.
He told New Life, ‘There had been a bit of trouble between some gangs, and they were going for revenge for him for another attack.
‘As the attacker went for him, he stabbed the Bible instead of the young lad.
‘The boy comes to the youth group every week. I asked him to give his testimony at the youth group but he was a little shy. It’s quite a remarkable story.’
PAIN
Mr Brown, who himself served a prison sentence as a 17-year-old for stabbing someone to death, knows all about the dangers of knife crime.
He said the attack on the teenager was part of a craze known as ‘jucking’, where attackers stab their victims but don’t mean to inflict serious injury.
Instead, they pierce the skin of their victim, hoping to cause minor pain, which will result in a few stitches.
Other members of Emmanuel Christian Centre have experienced similar incidents, Mr Brown said.
Earlier this year, a member of the congregation was raped and attacked by a gang, before having acid thrown over her body in an effort to destroy DNA evidence.
Despite the dangers, however, Mr Brown admits he enjoys pastoring in London. He believes that no situations are impossible for God to impact.
He added, ‘Because of my own experience and past, I am not fazed by such trouble. I know that God can reach in and touch lives, just like he changed my own life.’
The church has started regular work in schools and with the police to combat problems within their community. Their Spark2Life project has earned them several awards.
Senior pastor Doug Williams said counselling the victims was ‘heartbreaking’.
‘The only answer I have in the face of such things is that I still believe in the power of the Gospel. I believe the Gospel has the power to change a heart.’
