RIP David Wilkerson
When I was a teenager, I read a book, a biography of sorts. It was called The Cross and the Switchblade. I also read it's companion book called Run Baby Run. These two books were incredibly influential on the path my life took after that.
If your not familiar with the story, the two books go together. They tell the incredibly true story of a country preacher who left rural America behind and headed for the mean streets of New York City. He quite literally stood on the street corners in the worst neighborhoods and preached to the gang members in the barrios. The gangs were losing quite a few members to conversions to Christianity. Needless to say, they didn't appreciate that very much. One of the gang leaders showed up and told the preacher to stop preaching or he'd "cut him into a thousand pieces." The preacher simply replied, "even if you cut me into a thousand pieces, every one of those pieces will say Jesus loves you." The gang leader eventually made a radical life change and became a Christian.
The Cross and the Switchblade is David Wilkerson's story. He was the country preacher. Run Baby Run is Nicky Cruz's story, the gang leader. I knew from the moment I read these books that I wanted to influence teenagers in the same positive way that David Wilkerson did. It was in reading these books that I found my calling and passion for teenagers. I still have copies (very well read/worn) that I pull out and reread from time to time.
Anyway, I put all that in this post because today, David Wilkerson was killed in an automobile accident up in Tyler. It was a head on collision with an 18-wheeler. His wife is in ICU. He was 79 years old. It is my belief that, for a Christian, the moment this life ends, we come face to face with God himself. We literally take our last breath in this life and the immediate next breath is in eternity. General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation army referred to it as being "promoted to Glory". I believe that today, Reverend David Wilkerson was promoted to glory.
Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers, especially his wife who was injured in the same car accident earlier today. This was a man who influenced so many, across an entire nation and the planet, my self included. He's also the founder of both Teen Challenge and World Challenge. I never met him, but my life was forever changed because of him.
Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into your rest.
If your not familiar with the story, the two books go together. They tell the incredibly true story of a country preacher who left rural America behind and headed for the mean streets of New York City. He quite literally stood on the street corners in the worst neighborhoods and preached to the gang members in the barrios. The gangs were losing quite a few members to conversions to Christianity. Needless to say, they didn't appreciate that very much. One of the gang leaders showed up and told the preacher to stop preaching or he'd "cut him into a thousand pieces." The preacher simply replied, "even if you cut me into a thousand pieces, every one of those pieces will say Jesus loves you." The gang leader eventually made a radical life change and became a Christian.
The Cross and the Switchblade is David Wilkerson's story. He was the country preacher. Run Baby Run is Nicky Cruz's story, the gang leader. I knew from the moment I read these books that I wanted to influence teenagers in the same positive way that David Wilkerson did. It was in reading these books that I found my calling and passion for teenagers. I still have copies (very well read/worn) that I pull out and reread from time to time.
Anyway, I put all that in this post because today, David Wilkerson was killed in an automobile accident up in Tyler. It was a head on collision with an 18-wheeler. His wife is in ICU. He was 79 years old. It is my belief that, for a Christian, the moment this life ends, we come face to face with God himself. We literally take our last breath in this life and the immediate next breath is in eternity. General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation army referred to it as being "promoted to Glory". I believe that today, Reverend David Wilkerson was promoted to glory.
Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers, especially his wife who was injured in the same car accident earlier today. This was a man who influenced so many, across an entire nation and the planet, my self included. He's also the founder of both Teen Challenge and World Challenge. I never met him, but my life was forever changed because of him.
Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into your rest.