In 1962 Pastor David Wilkerson, along with John and Elizabeth Sherrill published The Cross and the Switchblade, detailing the first 5 years of Pastor Wilkerson's work with troubled youth in New York City. After seeing a cover photo on Life Magazine of teenage boys on trial for murder, David feels a magnetic pull to help them. Putting his "fleece before the Lord", he is given clear indications that he is needed in NYC. What he thought would be a one time trip, ended up changing his life and his family's lives forever. Ultimately it resulted in a Teen Challenge center in New York City, serving youth in the most dire spiritual and temporal circumstances.
While David never spoke to the boys he felt called to help, he found hundreds of other boys and girls that he could. This book was about faith in action. It reminds us what power for good there is in all of us when we heed the counsel of the Lord. It inspires us to look and even ask for miracles and to put our full faith and confidence in God. It encourages us to think about our own priorities and how we help others. The book reminded us that with God, all things are possible, including recovery from serious drug addictions. Additionally, it was a great example of how different faiths can come together and work towards a common goal.
After the book was published, the story lived on. In 1970 there was a film version of the book starring Pat Boone and Erik Estrada.
In 1968 Jamie Buckingham published Run, Baby, Run detailing his side of the story. His life in the gang, meeting Pastor Dave and becoming an Evangelical Christian.
In 1972 there was a Comic Book released.
After reading this book, I really wanted to know, Where are they now? Pastor Wilkerson turned over the Teen Challenge centers to the Assemblies of God. They have locations all over the United States and have 12 month residential centers for those with serious drug addictions. Their "tagline" is "Freedom through Discipleship". That phrase can be used for all sorts of good purposes.
David Wilkerson died on April 27, 2011 in a head-on collision with a tractor trailer. Pastor Wilkerson had crossed the lanes into oncoming traffic. His wife Gwen was injured but survived. She passed away on July 25, 2012 from cancer. The Wilkerson family now runs World Challenge. They focus on feeding the abject poor and on orphan care. It seems that there are no small dreams in the Wilkerson family.
