Mr. Thuza

Mr. Thuza was a Christian prisoner in a Burmese labor camp where guards robbed, beat, and falsely accused him. Even under that abuse, he continued serving the other prisoners. When a riot left a guard dead, Thuza stepped in front of a firing squad to protect the very man who had tormented him. His courage demonstrated a faith stronger than fear, resentment, or the instinct for self-preservation. Pastor Wilson Knox later tells Cooper Calhoun about Thuza while confessing his own failure to admit that he was a Christian in the same camp. Thuza's example helps both Wilson and Cooper understand that following Jesus may require loving enemies and speaking the truth when denial seems far safer.