But who was David Wilkerson? Many Christians don’t really know. More often than not, we saw the fruit of his faith in God rather than the man himself.
When Wilkerson moved to New York from rural Pennsylvania in 1958 to confront the gangs who ran the streets, he was a skinny, 120-pound man. After the initial publicity that brought him face to face with some of the most dangerous young men of the city, he largely flew under the radar of the media, using the Word of God and a bit of tough love to help men and women of the street escape the destructive spiral of drugs and violence. Wilkerson was always the real deal, full of passion and conviction, not interested in what others said was the “right” or political thing to do.
Wilkerson later founded the Times Square Church, now a non-denominational mega-church of 8,000 members, to this day a crossroads for those battling sin, drugs, and pornography, and a place where the message of Christ is discussed. He created the faith-based program Teen Challenge to wean addicts off drugs, and then World Challenge, dedicated since its beginning to promoting and spreading the Gospel throughout the world. Both now have branches worldwide, continuing the work that God began in the life of one man who believed
David Wilkerson was a man of faith who trusted God would give him what he needed to enter a world of crime and killing. He was a man of conviction who took the dream God gave him and marched forward without ever looking back. And he was a man of vision who could not be shaken from his beliefs—sometimes even when counseled otherwise. David Wilkerson was the preacher of New York City.
My Thoughts: Many of you readers may have read The Cross and The Switchblade years ago. I read The Cross and The Switchblade when I was 12 and then when I was about 18 I saw the movie....it was life changing for me. This is not a book about The Cross and the Switchblade ...it's about the man behind the book and the movie. A small town preacher with a big vision for God. And how he, through the eyes of his son, became a hero of faith.
David Wilkerson is a hero of faith for us. About five years ago David Wilkerson walked into our small Texas church ... you would have thought that one of the apostles were visiting! We were all so excited! But in true humble character David Wilkerson requested of my husband that he not be mentioned in the church nor introduced ... just go along with the service as usual...as if he weren't there. He said that he came to church to just worship the Lord.
David Wilkerson's life was a lived for Jesus! He was such a man of faith and prayer!
David Wilkerson had a purpose and a plan to go to New York City and reach the lives of young gangsters for Jesus. Many a trial and many a triumph but God worked through Bro. Wilkerson. So many lives were changed and so many people came to know Jesus because one man chose to listen and obey God.
His son, Gary, a man who also loves Jesus and is carrying on his dad's work, has written this wonderful book as an honor to his father. I love that Gary is doing this as a honor to his dad but, greater still, that even though his dad was a great man of God, Gary kindly reminds us that his dad was human too.
This book does reiterate about David's earlier work with the gangs in New York. But Gary (and R.S.B.Sawyer) also tell many interesting life facts and stories/memories about this godly man.
Besides Billy Graham I don't know of another human in America who has touched so many lives and spread the Word of God to so many needy peoples.
I loved this book! What a pleasure to read about a great man of God!
*This book was provided for review by BookLook*
- Age Range: 18 and up
- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: Zondervan
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0310326273
- ISBN-13: 978-0310326274
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