Mr. Graham

Billy Graham was the one of the few public evangelists I admired.  A godly man who truly adorned the armor of Christ and lived what he preached.  Before millions.  His crusades are still shown on television, and you would do well to watch and listen if you've been soured on the word of God as dispensed through a long parade of televangelist buffoons.  I don't need to name them.  I've always been amused by them, but the older I get, the laughter increasingly turns to nausea.

I was aware of Graham as early as the mid '70s, when I attended a private Baptist day school.  His photo was in the hall, and my teachers and church elders spoke of him often. Camp counselors at Lake Swan in Melrose, FL, where my church's summer camp was held for several years, explained that he preached his first sermon there.  My grandmother played cassette tapes of his sermons.  His style was direct and free of fire and brimstone posturing.  He preached the Bible.  Even those who did and do not agree with the message could respect the man's convictions.  There were meetings with Nixon, Clinton, and all the other Presidents but Graham never seemed to be in anyone's pocket.

Was he perfect? Of course not.  There are those troubling anti-Semetic charges, but whether or not they are substantiated seems beside the point now.  Who knows the hearts of men, especially those who call upon His name?

Graham made the cover of Time in the early '90s under the banner "A Christian in Winter".  I always liked that.  It can have multiple meanings.  Graham held fast to his calling, his message, the decision to lead a life that followed Christ and proclaimed it to others, right to the end.  Many atheists respect him.  Perhaps they will do some soul searching as we mourn Billy Graham's death at the age of ninety-nine.

If anyone earned the privilege of hearing "Well done, my good and faithful servant"........