It’s All About Christ

When I first felt led to feature the Life and Legacy of Billy Graham in my 10th anniversary edition of The Journey, I had no idea what an adventure this was going to be. I also had no idea of where to begin!

I knew I wanted to highlight the local roots of Dr. Graham’s international ministry while still communicating his worldwide impact, but that’s about it. I also reasoned that since Franklin and I have lived in Boone for 40+ years and have known each other for many of those years, my local knowledge would come in handy, and it has. What I have been surprised to learn, however, is that there is so much I didn’t know about Samaritan’s Purse, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and the Graham family.

Seventeen years ago, as the pastor of Living Water Christian Fellowship in Boone, I was on the committee that worked alongside SP and the BGEA to bring High Country Festival 2000 with Franklin Graham to Boone. We held evangelistic meetings at Kidd Brewer Stadium that were powerful in their impact on those who attended and unifying for the churches of the High Country.

Then, in 2001, when our nation was shocked by the terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania, I volunteered to go to NYC to serve as a grief counselor to traumatized residents of the city. That, in turn, led to my being hired for 3½ months to work as the Prayer Coordinator for the Billy Graham New York Prayer Center. The experience was profoundly life-changing for me and helped me appreciate Billy and Franklin Graham in a whole new way.

Now, all the research I have done for these two legacy editions has made an impact on my soul that I didn’t even realize I needed as badly as I did. That impact goes far beyond an appreciation for SP and BGEA: my relationship with the Lord has been strengthened significantly! Furthermore, as world events seem to be intensifying daily and the pace of change is quickening, I have come to understand the urgency with which SP and the BGEA is working.

I’m thrilled to report that we have had many positive responses expressing the same sentiments that I just expressed. People were brought closer to the Lord through our legacy stories in our last edition (and our other stories, too), and they were also pleased to be informed about SP, BGEA, and WMM in ways that deepened their appreciation for the work of these two organizations Franklin Graham leads.

We also experienced some responses that weren’t so positive. A few people, in my presence, looked at the magazine cover featuring a photo of Billy, Franklin, and Will from a Billy Graham Crusade in 1994 and made pointed, negative comments about Franklin. These comments were rooted in their disagreement with the public stands Franklin takes in regards to some of the hot-button political and social issues of our times.

Personally, I make it a point not to get involved in discussions about political issues and faith unless I’m talking to someone who is willing to have a reasonable conversation. Therefore, I chose to sidestep controversial statements with these words: “The magazine isn’t about Franklin and it’s not about Billy or Will, either. It’s about Christ, His Kingdom, and the difference His love can make in our hurting world. These three men are just sinners saved by grace who feel called to proclaim that.”

As I’ve done my research for these two special editions of The Journey, I hope readers can feel how inspired I am by this. I’m incredibly grateful that the Holy Spirit is alive and well on planet earth, working in miraculous ways as He’s been doing from the beginning of time. I’m also grateful that God the Father sent His only Son to earth to show us what He’s like and to make a way for us to come into His kingdom.

As you read through the part of this edition that’s dedicated to celebrating the local roots of the Billy Graham legacy, consider this powerful passage of scripture written by the Apostle Paul to the church that existed in Rome approximately 30 years after Jesus had ascended to heaven:

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:14-15, NIV)