Posted on 07/23/2016 5:39:35 AM PDT by daniel1212
The solution to racial war. All lives matter, but the problem is sin, not skin (though aspects of cultural can be sinful).
The Cross and the Switchblade movie (1969, copyright Dick Ross and associates, and which can be seen here) is about the true story which is told in the book, the Cross and the Switchblade written in 1962. The movie (which mostly used local talent) stars Pat Boone as David Wilkerson and Erik Estrada as Nicky Cruz, the teen gang member whose life was dramatically transformed by Christ. Nicky was the leader of the notorious Brooklyn Puerto Rican gang the "Mau Maus," which operated from at least late 1954 to around 1962. Their name was apparently derived from the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya, and who were in a tight rivalry with the African American gang, the Bishops, which including a Muslim leader in the movie. As now, the only real solution was for both to become truly born again and submit to the Lord Jesus (which many in racist churches, especially black, are in ongoing basic rebellion to).
The movie is intriguing and captivating, with a rare raw quality in exposing the underworld of 1950's NYC gangs and their passion, with a clear contrast between the characters, and yet with some honest humor as well. It begins with David Wilkerson, a skinny 28-year-old preacher Pentecostal preacher, who followed his father and grandfather into the ministry (ordained in 1952 and was ministering in central Pennsylvania). After reading of some NYC gangs in life magazine (not shown in the movie) he became strongly burdened with compassion for the gang members in NYC, who need the Lord Jesus. He therefore drives up there, not knowing anyone, and at the trial in a tension-filled courtroom he seeks to speak to the judge,
but which results in him being quickly briefly apprehended by the police who knew of threats to the judge.
Publicity follows, but unknown to him at the time, this apprehension gives him street credibility with some of the gangs, since the police who apprehended him was their enemy.
Therefore he is helped by "Little Bo Peep," a young independent teen who sometimes runs messages for gangs, and who becomes Wilkerson's street guide.
At his first meeting with Nicky Cruz however, which is in the middle of a "war council btwn the and the Mau Maus and the black Bishops,
,
the hardened, hate-filled Puerto Rican who had quickly risen to the top of the feared "Mau Maus" gang, slaps Wilkerson's face in response to his offer to shake his hand.
At a later encounter where they come across Wilkerson preaching,
and he tries to shake Nicky's hand as well as Israel's,
Nicky threatens to kill him. 
But which does not deter the burdened pastor from attempting to reach the gangs for Christ and Nicky in particular. At one point later on, Nicky asks "why me?" and Israel, Nicky's right hand man, and president of the Mau Maus, explains that if Wilkerson can reach Nicky, then he can reach anyone.
Wilkerson is enabled to carry out his efforts to reach those in the gang because the pastor and wife of a Latino church constrain Wilkerson to stay with them,
and homeless (by choice)
Bo as well, and there he often meets with a sergeant from the police force who befriended David.
In their efforts to reach the gangs, they secure a venue, St. Nick's Arena, and invite the gangs. However, they stay away from the meetings, being leery of the cops, so Wilkerson and the sergeant decide to have a meeting without any police presence.
Meanwhile, the Mau Maus and a rival gang the black "Bishops" often feud and fight,
and so they both agree to Nicky's plan to have it out once and for all - in the hall where the next meeting will be. Exits will be sealed, and the gang with the last man standing gets all the territory.
The gangs arrive and sit on opposite sides, and after a troublesome start at the meeting, Wilkerson asks for volunteers from the gang to take up an offering. Nicky and the Muslim Abdullah of the of Bishops are two of the 4 chosen, and they pressure people to give. Yet while all expect them to keep the money, Nicky proposes they cross the preacher up by doing the unexpected, and return all the money. And which provides a lead for Wilkerson's preaching, that you do not have to conform to what people think you should do, and that God is:
"the only One who really knows why you do the things you do...the only One who has the power to do anything about it." And that "love is the gutiest thing you'll ever do... it's turning away from your hate..." "God sent His only Son into this world." "Each of your here has heard about the 10 commandments. Most of your here have broken every one of them."
In response to the exhortation to repentance and love, one of the members of the black Bishops gang stands up and protests, "Hey man , my brother died from a Mau Maus rumble! And you say you want me to love them honkeys? Yes, I'm going to love them. I'm going to love them with a sharp blade!"
To which Wilkerson forcefully responds, "Now shut up and listen to me! You [Bishops] say you've got to kill them because of what they did to you. You've [Mau Maus] got to kill them because of what they did to you. Everyone's griping abut this atrocity or that tragedy. All I hear is what a rotten deal we've all got.
Let me tell you something! Jesus Christ was perfect. And they crucified Him! And He never said one complaining word...He felt pain just like you feel pain..they nailed His hands and feet to the cross. He didn't have to let them do that to Him. He could have called out a whole legion of angels...He could have slaughtered all His tormentors. He didn't....bleeding for you... It's all paid up; its free...accept it...open up your hearts and let all that bitterness roll out and let Jesus Christ come in."
But then the Muslim Abdullah of the of Bishops jumps up and says, "all you white cats, and all you black cats. Now listen to me. You've been hearing about the power of love. But I'm going to to tell you about another power, Gang Power! And that's where its at. Now the Bishops and the Mau Maus are going to have it out here tonight, and you're going to be in on it. You can't get away. All the exits are shut off...We are going to have it out right here and right now!"
Both sides then jump out of their respective sides and come moving to each other, but Nicky, who has become convicted of his need for salvation,
jumps up on the stage and runs ahead to get in the middle, and with authority says,
"Cool it now! I said cool it! Hasn't there been enough killing and cutting"? Are you listening to the preacher? Well I heard the preacher!"
Then turning to Wilkerson and struggling to speak he says: "I don't know how to say it."
It is not obvious that God is at work, and Wilkerson responds, "He's here....You can all feel him... If you ever want your lives changed. Now is the time. Put your weapons away. There's not going to be a rumble here tonight. You're in the presence of Almighty God!" Wilkerson then calls them all to come up together. "Don't wait till you're good enough. That day is never going to come. Come with all your hang ups. Let Jesus clean you up....God I need you. God forgive me. God I give myself to you."
Now "Little Bo," the young independent teen street runner who helped Wilkerson reach the Mau Maus, comes up to Nicky and says "Hey man, I know you've got love. I can feel it in ya. Cause I ain't scared of you anymore." But as he gives her a hug,
all of a sudden Nicky's former girl friend Rosa, who found deliverance from heroin thru the grace of God via Wilkerson and his adopted family, screams "NICKY!" as Abdullah charges Nicky and cuts his hand with a knife. Nicky's reflective action pins Abdullah to the ground with his cane, and with a knife inches from his Abdullah's face, Nicky states, "Man, I got your life in my hand. I can take it away or I can give it back to you [hesitating]. I'm going to give it back to you." The reaction of Abdullah is,"Wow man; I really don't dig this scene tonight at all," and walks away with disdain.
Then Wilkerson, smiling, comes over to Nicky who says,"I'm going to give my life to God Davie. It better work for I dam near got killed for it."
Wilkerson responds, "This is a miracle. The miracle I've been praying about."
Nicky exchanges his knife for a Bible,
and Wilkerson tells the the gang: "This is the miracle I've been talking about. You're going to find yourselves tonight. And you're going to know in your hearts that its a miracle. So you're never going to trust in your own flesh again, but in the flesh sacrificed for you by Jesus."
The gangs shake hands,
and Wilkerson passes out Bible's to them all, and many ask for bigger ones so others can really see what they are carrying. Meanwhile, Rosa comes over to Nicky and exclaims how he is different, "all kinds of shiny." Nicky responds that "maybe its because I'm about two minutes old right now." The scene ends with Israel, Nicky's right hand man, jumping up on the stage and exclaiming that his name is practically on about every page of the Bible he has been perusing.
The video ends with Wilkerson explaining that "this was the breakthrough, that would make the ghetto my church," including a ministry to help mixed up teens ("Teen Challenge").
Below is a description of the film by Pat Boone from a 1970 interview.
"It's based on a book that is the true story of David Wilkerson, a man who read an article in Life magazine 12 years ago about the gang wars in New York City. David Wilkerson was a 28-year-old preacher from Pennsylvania at that time, but he found himself strangely moved to leave Pennsylvania and go to New York...
"The magazine article was about the Farmer trial, named after one of the boys who was killed. It was a thrill killing. Several gang members got high on pills and killed him. Then they ran his blood through their hair...they seemed to kill just for kicks, and even the death sentence didn't seem to affect them. David Wilkerson wanted to reach those boys.
"Well, he was unable to reach them, and he found himself alone in New York with nothing but his faith. He walked in the streets, in the slums, and he was filled with an overwhelming sense of compassion. He was one skinny 28-year-old preacher with no money, no organization, nothing but his faith in God. But he meant to help the street gangs."
"He had no great qualification but faith. But one day he stood on a tarred rooftop in Little Puerto Rico, and a group of young dope addicts told him: 'Man, there's only three ways out of addiction: Overdose, suicide or God.'
"Wilkerson realized they were right. He told me that story one night when I stood on the same rooftop with him. He said that at that moment he spoke to God. He said, God, you're gonna have to give me miracles. You gave Peter and James and John miracles, and now you're gonna have to give them to me."
"The movie is about Wilkerson's first six months at work. It ends with the first turning point, a gang rally he held at St. Nick's Arena. The gangs came prepared for a rumble. They had guns, knives, chains. But miracles took place that night. They came to rumble, but they put down their guns and chains!"
"He went into the streets, into the alleys. The gangs humored him. He became sort of a gang chaplain. Finally he began to get results. He centered his work on drug addiction, and out of those early days came the experience he used in founding Teen Challenge.
"Today," Boone said, "Teen Challenge operates in 30 cities, including Chicago. It buys old homes in the ghetto and fixes them up into centers to help kids who are strung out on dope.
"God gave him miracles," Boone said. "The first miracle I personally ever witnessed in my life took place at a Wilkerson Youth Rally last year in Orange County, Calif. See, the young kids trust Wilkerson. They trust him because they know he walks the streets talking to the junkies, the prostitutes, the homosexuals. They listened to him, and when he had finished, 500 young people came forward for counseling.
"A lot of them were on pills, grass, speed. But he reached out to them right through the dope, and they heard him. And it was then that I witnessed the miracle.
"One of the young men was freaking out - literally! He was on some kind of chemical. He was moaning, clawing at his face, screaming. I asked his friends what was wrong with him, and they said he was on a bad trip. How do you give counsel to someone who's freaked out?
"Just then, two counselors approached the young man. They put their hands on his shoulders and they began to pray. And as they prayed, I saw this young man suddenly slump in his chair. He appeared to go to sleep. His face was tranquil. Prayer had cut right through the drugs and given him instant peace."
"It was a miracle," Pat Boone said softly. "If things like that didn't happen all the time, there'd be no Teen Challenge."- http://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/interview-with-pat-boone
By which include forsaking the idea that skin color is deterministic of morality, as well as the insidious "victim-entitlement mentality" of the devil, that the American black culture (if not African) has largely adopted.
And which seduces souls into thinking they are victims if they do not have what others earned, and that they are entitled to the same without like merit (which is what the devil originally presumed in his "occupy God's throne" movement is Is. 14, and seduced Eve by with his "share the wealth" message).
And thus, rather than overcoming actual prejudice by patiently continuing in well-doing and economically rising above their circumstances, , as did so many immigrants to America, instead vast multitudes who those who subscribe to the victim-entitlement mentality become enslaved in a culture of crime and relative poverty, with a lack of real purpose, and a chip on the shoulder by which they justify indolence and crime.
And all the while giving power to self-promoting selfish political proxy servants of the devil, who gain power by presenting themselves saviors of the oppressed, by spending the money of others, and whose policies work to perpetuate the very conditions they promise to alleviate.
And under which the concept of obtaining benefits by striving lawfully is effectively scorned, and even mercy and grace are replaced by demanding what others earned,.
The end result is greater and greater dependence upon the supposed "Robin Hood" government, until it is so great that it can demand ideological conformity to its anti-Christ morality, and obeisance to its leaders. Thus the devil obtains worship which he selfishly lusts for.
In contrast, God does not call for worship of Him because He needs anything, as He does not, (Acts 17:25) and would actually spare Himself much grief without us, but it is simply right and to our benefit that we worship God above all, seeing He alone is perfect, and omniscient, and can never fail us.
And He both shows mercy and grace, which does not subsidize disobedience, but is to be responded to by obedience, and which He rewards, although man owes everything to God.
And while the devil presumed he was worthy to be like God in power and glory, (Is. 14;14) under grace the Lord promises,
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Revelation 3:21)
To God be the glory.
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I saw Nicky Cruz preach in 1974, in Del Rio, TX. It was good preaching.
Thank you. I have it on a list to watch.
” He walked in the streets, in the slums, and he was filled with an overwhelming sense of compassion. “
Pathological altruism. He needs to take care of his own people first and then he can get the warm fuzzies by helping the non-producers. Oooh, is that cynical or what?
Wow I remember seeing the movie at our church back in the early 70’s. Also seeing Nicky Cruz also spoke at our church. What a great testimony to see even to those we view as nothings to our society can be changed by accepting the Lord.
Once I got over that, the movie was powerful in message but adolescently performed.
Now, I would like to hear the preaching.
"Pathological altruism?!" "His own [white] people" were churched and doing quite well in PA, while the help he gave gang members in NYC was not some welfare check, but the transformative gospel and deliverance whereby they would become producing members of society rather than the burden on it, which would typically be the case had he not stood in the gap. And which is clearly Scriptural. Or do you have a problem with the Lord Jesus acting like as Wilkerson did? And you needed or need salvation just as they did.
Jordan, please watch Nicky Cruz in person and tell us again what you think of David Wilkerson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTJP3vy6Jv0
I’ve never seen the movie, although I’ve heard enough about it.
I’ll have to do that.
Yes, it’s cynical.
And wrong.
If God put a burden on his heart for the gangs in NYC, then he better well have listened to it and gone.
Look at the outcome. That was a work of God. Wilkerson was the man for the job.
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
—Mark 16:15
The Lord’s sheep are found among every nation, tribe, people, and language. We are to go forth and spread the good news.
The book was a big influence in a bunch of us leaving Wheaton
and other colleges to move to the inner city in ‘64.
For the current immigration debate, we all need to see the
movie FOR GREATER GLORY with Andy Garcia and Eva Longoria.
It is prophetic, not just on immigration, but on the entire
direction of the USA.
Glory to God, and to whom it is and will be!
How DARE you preach to folks who ain’t in the choir!
You ‘spectin’ a miracle or sumpthin’?
“Who knows; but for such a time as this...”
In-deed.
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