Son Chang-rak
I would often encounter Fragrances of Zion describing how those who do not give up eventually reap the fruits of the gospel. For a long time, those testimonies felt like they belonged to others, not to me. But now, that blessing has become my own: after six years of preaching, my friend has finally become my spiritual brother.
My friend and I had been close friends since middle school. After he moved to Gunsan during high school, we could not meet as often, but we stayed in touch. As our friendship grew deeper, so did my longing for him to receive the promise of salvation. One day, I gathered courage and shared the truth with him over the phone. He listened carefully but declined to become a child of God, explaining that he had once been hurt by a religious group he had joined at a friend’s recommendation while seeking God. He also told me that even when members of the Church of God near his home preached to him, he refused the blessing. Although I felt disappointed, I respected his decision and stopped urging him.
As this year’s Passover Preaching Festival approached, my friend came to mind. I could not stop thinking about him. I had already invited him to church twice, and both times he had declined. On top of that, the distance made meeting him even difficult. The more I thought about it, the more impossible it seemed. Yet my desire for his salvation outweighed my doubts. The only thing I could do for him was to pray. I prayed that he would find healing in the true God, gently knocking on the door of his heart.
It was then that my friend began listening to the words of God again. I preached to him over a video call, and this time he responded far more positively than before. He listened attentively for longer than he had in the past and even asked how to receive baptism. When I explained the promises God makes through baptism and asked if he wanted to receive it, he said yes.
I was astonished. I asked why he had changed his mind after previously refusing. He replied, “Though I had refused before, I had been wrestling with the decision to be baptized all along.” Past wounds had held him back, but he had never doubted the truth of God’s word.
The more my friend studied the Bible, the more he became convinced of the truth. He also told me that the warm and welcoming impression left by the members of the Church of God near his home gave him confidence that it was a good church. With that assurance, he made up his mind to attend our church. Overjoyed, I promised to accompany him to Zion in Gunsan the following week. Thankfully, a member of my Zion, upon hearing our situation, willingly offered to drive me there.
The drive from Daegu to Gunsan takes about three hours. Since I often suffer from motion sickness, I had never traveled such long distance by car before, and the journey was challenging. Still, the entire way, I prayed earnestly that my friend’s resolve would remain steadfast. When I arrived, he was already waiting for me at Zion. After six years of sharing the truth with him, we finally walked into Zion together. Soon afterward, we became spiritual brothers. Following his baptism, it was as if his past wounds had been washed away; he expressed deep gratitude toward the Zion members and treated everyone with warmth and affection.
Looking back, I cannot help but wonder: What if I had given up, convinced by all the reasons not to continue sharing the truth? Giving up is easy, but I have learned that love is a force that carries us to the very end. I witnessed the power of that love two years ago, when my father was finally led to Zion. For twenty years, he had resisted the faith of my mother and our family. Yet my mother never stopped praying for his salvation, motivated solely by her love for him. For many years, he remained unmoved, but when he finally came to church, prayed sincerely to God, and received the blessing of new life, my mother was overcome with tears of gratitude. Even witnessing it with my own eyes, I could hardly believe it.
I am grateful to God for reminding me once again that with love in our hearts, nothing is impossible. I pray earnestly that I may cast aside the habit of overthinking circumstances before sharing the gospel and instead become a young prophet, empowered by God’s love, who brings salvation to many souls.