4 - The Cross and the Switchblade

It is no exaggeration to say that The Cross and the Switchblade changed my life. Written in 1963 by David Wilkerson, it tells of his work in Brooklyn, helping street kids to exchange drugs and violence for life led by the Holy Spirit. A bestseller with more than 15 million copies in over 30 languages, it was adapted into a film viewed by an estimated 50 million in 150 countries, starring Pat Boone as Wilkerson and Erik Estrada as gang leader Nicky Cruz. As a pre-teen, the book stirred me to renew my faith – then years later changed my career. In my 20s, as a journalist bedfast at a missionary’s house in the Third World, I read it again, noticing it was written with John and Elizabeth Sherrill. Other books in the missionary’s library had co-authors, including Jamie Buckingham who helped Cruz write the bestselling sequel Run Baby Run. I switched careers, working with Buckingham who taught me to be a storyteller – then was privileged to assist two of the The Cross and the Switchblade figures – Cruz and former heroin junkie Sonny Arguinzoni – write subsequent books. The Cross and the Switchblade touched millions, sparking an interest in what it means to live led by the Holy Spirit. It is often credited with inspiring the Charismatic Movement that transformed millions of Christians – Catholics, Evangelicals and traditional Protestants – to re-examine their own relationships with the Almighty.  

~ Rob Kerby

Purchase "The Cross and the Switchblade" here.