Chapters 1, 2 and 3 Summary and Analysis

This book chronicles the spiritual journey undertaken by the young evangelical pastor of a small town American church when he embarks on a mission to help the members of troubled street gangs in New York City. Set in the late 1950's and early 1960's, the narrative traces the growth of his ministry from personal, one-on-one encounters into a thriving, sometimes miraculously funded, community outreach program. Along the way, the book explores themes relating to the power of the Christian faith and the causes and effects of drug addiction.

Chapter 1 - The author describes seeing a picture in Life Magazine of seven male teenagers in New York City who had murdered another teenager (see "Important People - The Dragon Gang and Michael Farmer"), and how he felt inspired to go to New York and help them. He describes how reluctant...