Our prayers certainly go out to residents of the southeast as they dig out from storm and tornado damage suffered yesterday. Nice to see that Phil, whose area was badly affected, is still blogging (as you may see below).
That was far from the only tragedy to happen yesterday, though. Rev. David Wilkerson, founder of the Times Square Church and Teen Challenge, and author of The Cross and the Switchblade, was killed yesterday in an automobile accident in Texas. Reports say the 79-year-old pastor swerved into the path of a truck, for reasons still unexplained. His wife, also in the car, remains hospitalized.
My personal belief is that social historians have paid far too little attention to Pastor Wilkerson and the monumental effect The Cross and the Switchblade—the book even more than the Pat Boone movie—had in the ’60s and ’70s. It was my own first exposure to Pentecostalism, a movement in which I participated for a time. I remember that even pastors who loathed the Charismatic movement encouraged us kids to read it. I still know at least one strongly anti-charismatic pastor who has continued to be a devoted follower of Wilkerson’s writings.
The drama of his account of his call to the mean streets of New York City, his initial humiliation and ultimate vindication, along with the apparent miracles that followed, held powerful fascination for young Christians. The story opened up unimagined spiritual possibilities to us, and convinced us that Christian life could be a meaningful adventure. I think The Cross and the Switchblade, more than any other single factor, was responsible for the Jesus Movement—for good and ill.
I know of no scandal in Pastor Wilkerson’s life. I found much humility and wisdom in his writings. I’d forgotten till today, but I actually heard him preach once, at a conference in Minneapolis back in the ’70s.
Rest in peace.
I have mixed feelings about Wilkerson. He won many to Christ. I believe his greatest legacy will be Teen Challenge, arguably the most effective drug rehab program out there. I read his book back in High School and received his newsletter for many years. He was highly respected in the circles I ran in back in those days. But, while he claimed the pentecostal stuff empowered him, I came to see it as a distraction that limited his ministry.
Many years later, on my last day at a previous parish, one of the deacons left a printout of a David Wilkerson prophesy on my desk with a number of phrases highlighted and underlined. Wilkerson prophesied that in the end times (meaning now) preachers would water down the Gospel. Apparently the deacon thought I was guilty for preaching against the sins of gossip and unforgiveness that were present in that community instead of abortion and gay issues that allowed them to point their fingers at the outside world.
I had also observed that pentecostal obscession with modern day prophesy was, in essence, a rejection of scripture in favor of New Revelation. The prophesy from David Wilkerson also predicted last days preachers rejecting prophetic utterance. In my case he was right.
Thanks for taking the stands you did, Greybeard. I tend to think gossip is an subtle poison that has killed many spirits and sown doubt in many hearts.
Amen to what Phil said! Thank you, Graybeard, for your faithfullness to Scripture. It gives our sinful nature much joy to point to the sins of others while ignoring our own.