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Scripture for this chapter
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7 KJV
At a glance
A childhood memory of standing up to a bully steadies Wilkerson as he preaches directly on gang turf.
The chapter deliberately introduces Nicky's hostility here, before his transformation later in the book.
UECF.NET summary
Wilkerson recalls a moment from his own boyhood when he stood his ground against a bully, and draws on that memory for courage as he begins open-air preaching in Brooklyn neighborhoods controlled by rival gangs. An early attempt ends in his arrest, though no charges are filed; a second attempt, undertaken despite the risk, earns him grudging respect from teenagers who already know about his trouble with the police.
Two gang leaders join him in prayer during this period — a real, if small, breakthrough. But the chapter is careful to note that not everyone is moved: Nicky, the leader of a gang called the Mau Maus, remains openly hostile and skeptical, setting up the confrontation that will become the book's most famous turning point.
Key points
- Personal history and memory become a resource for present courage.
- An arrest with no charges becomes, paradoxically, part of what earns Wilkerson credibility on the street.
- The chapter deliberately introduces Nicky's hostility here, before his transformation later in the book.
Related Scripture
For reflection and discussion
- What past experience of courage has God used to prepare you for a present challenge?
- How should a Christian respond when public opposition (even arrest) actually opens a door rather than closing one?
- Why might God allow us to see both a breakthrough and a hard “no” in the very same season?
This page is an original UECF.NET study companion. It does not reproduce any text from The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson (with John Sherrill and Elizabeth Sherrill), which remains under copyright. Read the full chapter in a legally available edition of the book — see Further Reading & Legal Editions — or borrow the original 1963 edition via Internet Archive’s Open Library controlled digital lending.