Billy Graham: A Man with a Mission - Research Paper Example

Billy Graham: A Man with a Mission Introduction A common theme in Christian sermons, be they Catholic, Protestant or any other denomination, is to go out into the world and spread the Gospel – which is something Billy Graham has dedicated his entire life to. This command came at the behest of Jesus Christ himself who, before ascending to heaven, entrusted his apostles to make disciples of all men. While a lot of Christians throughout the years have more or less put this command at the back of their minds, there are those who instead took it to heart, and thus set out to bring salvation to as many people as they could reach in their lifetimes. Many of these missionaries were even threatened into ceasing their mission and renouncing their faith, often under pain of death and dismemberment – only to prove their complete and utter dedication to God’s word by serenely choosing the latter. Indeed, the determination and tenacity of these evangelists cannot be denied. Among the earliest of them was St. Peter, who ended up dying in almost the exact same way as his Master – the one difference being that he was crucified upside-down, after deeming himself unworthy of the exact same death as Jesus. Joan of Arc was yet another example, even praying as she was being burned alive. Sts. Francis Xavier and Stanislaus Kostka also serve as examples of nobles who gave up a life of privilege in order to do God’s work on here on earth, even to the point of dying alone in faraway lands. Even the Third World has its own such saint in Lorenzo Ruiz, who along with his compatriots was executed in Japan for trying to convert the locals to Christianity. The manner of their deaths should serve to underscore just how far these evangelists were willing to go for their faith – like Jesus before them, they subjected themselves to very high, even heroic moral standards. Like their Lord and Savior, these blessed individuals all became obedient to the most painful, gruesome, tragic and even humiliating deaths possible, all in their quest to carry out the will of God. As already noted, Billy Graham is one of the more recent triumphant examples of these evangelists, having been on a first name basis with every American president since Truman, and is undoubtedly the most successful American evangelical Christian evangelist ever. Unlike the aforementioned examples whose missions all came to an untimely and bloody end, Graham continues to spread the word even today, despite his advanced age of 92 years. Indeed, that he has been preaching of God’s salvation for all those years should serve as testament to how much of himself he has committed to the Lord. With this in mind, the purpose of this paper is twofold. First, this paper is intended to provide a look into the life of Billy Graham, with particular emphasis on those crucial junctures in his life that led to him becoming the preacher known, loved and revered all over the world. Through this, the researcher shall then highlight those character traits and decisions that were vital to the monumental success he experienced spreading the Gospel. Through this, the researcher intends to impart certain lessons not only to the general public, but most especially to today’s aspiring preachers and evangelists. Billy Graham – A Comprehensive Biography Graham has been said to have preached the Gospel in person to more people than anyone else in history (Horstman, 2002)1. Indeed, his staff attests to his having successfully drawn at least 3.2 million people to his crusades, which should say something about the influence the man wielded in his prime – and arguably still does today (Usborne, 2005)2. In light of this, the fact that no less than twelve US presidents have kept him around as a personal adviser and confessor should not be much of a surprise. His current status, though, belies his humble beginnings. Before becoming the colossal figure he is today, Billy Graham was born to William Franklin Graham I and Morrow Coffey somewhere in North Carolina, and grew up a member of the Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church. Even at this early age, it can be noted that his parents had already been doing a terrific job of raising him as a man of virtue. For one thing, any curiosity and interest he might have had in alcohol and drugs was quickly squelched by his father, who forced beer down his and his sister’s throats until they threw it all up. Nevertheless, it was not until the next year that Graham began to metamorphose into the evangelical preacher known and beloved all over America when, upon attending a series of revival meetings hosted by Mordecai Ham, he decided to make his own personal commitment to Christ. Later on, nearing expulsion from Bob Jones College, Bob Jones Sr. pulled him aside and encouraged him to do more with his life. He would then transfer to Florida Bible College (now Trinity College in Florida) and then to Wheaton College, where he graduated in 1943 with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology. It was also here where he met Ruth McCue Bell, who he would later go on to marry (Wacker, 2004)3. Graham would then go on to host a radio program entitled ‘Songs in the Night’, before becoming a national figure after hosting a series of revival meetings in Los Angeles in 1949 (Bloom, 1999)4. His recognition as such was further helped along by news mogul William Randolph Hearst, who had long respected Graham for sticking to his own beliefs – no mean feat at a time when wannabe door-to-door evangelists were spouting the same lines every single day (King, 1997)5. At the same time, though, some took a more cynical view, speculating that Hearst’s interest in Graham stemmed from his intent to harness his clout in order to promote his conservative, anti-communist views. Whatever the case, though, it cannot be denied that it was because of Hearst that Graham went from a small town preacher to a big time player. Thanks to the coverage provided by Heart’s magazine and newspaper chains, the crusade ran for eight weeks, well beyond what had originally been planned. While there were undoubtedly individuals who did looked upon the phenomenon with no small distaste, their sentiments have mostly gone unnoticed. The one exception came in the form of a fellow minister who accused Graham of setting religion back a hundred years – an accusation which Graham fully admitted to, likening it to the situation experienced by the early Christians under the Roman Empire. Graham would then go on to conduct many more evangelical crusades, never really stopping since having begun his ministry in 1947 (Gibbs and Ostling, 1993)6. The evangelist would rent out a fairly large venue and then recruit a choir numbering in the thousands. Then, borrowing a page from his mentor Dwight L. Moody, he would invite people to come forward and share their concerns with a counselor who would also lead them, one by one, in prayer. These individuals would normally be given resources to study, either a copy of the Gospels or of the entire Bible. Needless to say, this was a technique Graham used to great effect. One of the highlights of his ministry would come much later when, in 1992, a whole quarter of the 155,000 people gathered in his audience came forward. After conducting numerous missions and starting his crusade in London, Graham would then establish the Billy Graham Evangelical Association in 1950. While its headquarters was originally established in Minneapolis, Minnesota, it has since been relocated to Charlotte, NC. Among its many ministries, many of which are still going strong even today, include Decision Magazine, Radio Ministry, Blue Ridge Broadcasting, Christian Guidance, and others. It was also around this time when Graham would find involvement with the civil rights and anti-segregation movements. While his stand in the matter had been inconsistent at first, eventually he found himself strongly opposed to racial segregation, going so far as to invite Martin Luther King, Jr. to join him in his 16-week revival in New York City, which took place in 1957. While this would be the one and only time he would invite King to appear with him, Graham’s desire for equality and peace among people of all stripes did not end here. As a matter of fact, it again resurfaced during the Cold War, where he made an appearance behind the Iron Curtain, in territories all over the Soviet Union, in order to call for peace (Duffy and Nancy, 2005)7. Equally notable were his appearances in North Korea and in China – a feat that would normally have been impossible, especially considering the xenophobia being displayed by the aforementioned countries at the time. Graham was also noted as a public presence in the wake of terrible, terrible tragedies in recent history, namely the Oklahoma bombings, the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina. While his failing health has since prevented him from remaining the public figure he has been all throughout his life, Billy Graham has very much remained active through TV programs and podcasts. Then, in 2010, he made his first public appearance in a long time at the reopening of the recently renovated Billy Graham Library. In fact, if his grandson Will’s comments are anything to go by, he has expressed interest in preaching one more time. Billy Graham – Politics While having been both a Republican as well as a Democrat in different points of his life, Graham ultimately refrains from favoring any one political party on the ground that Jesus has always been apolitical. Earlier in 1979, he had refused to join Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority for similar reasons, stating that he needed to refrain from leaning toward any particular side in a political conflict in order to be able to preach to as many people as possible (Meacham, 2006)8. Graham’s status as a confidant of various heads of state is also well-publicized, with him counseling these leaders as to the best options to take when faced with various crises. He was particularly known to be the adviser of Presidents Truman, Eisenhower and Nixon, the last of whom even offered him a post as the American Ambassador to Israel – a post he declined. Even today, current President Barack Obama was known to have met with him at his residence, where they were said to have had a private session of prayer (Baker, 2010)9. That said, Graham’s life was not without controversy. The year 2002 saw tapes leaked to the media in which the evangelist confided to then-President Nixon his belief that the Jews monopolized the American media – a major, major shock to the entire nation, considering his well-publicized support for the State of Israel (Land, 2009)10.While he has since issued an apology, though, it has yet to be fully accepted by some who still resent the uncharacteristic and blatantly anti-Semitic remark. When more tapes were released in 2009 wherein he talked of ‘the synagogue of Satan’, a spokesperson clarified that his remarks were not dedicated to the Jewish people as a whole, but rather those who claimed themselves Jews but did not bear this out in their actions (Grossman, 2009)11. Despite these blemishes on his otherwise immaculate career, Billy Graham is undeniably a longtime fixture in the faith of the American people. At various points throughout the nation’s tumultuous history, he had spoken out to air his thoughts on the events of the time, notably the Vietnam War and the Cold War and, with the help of a few, well-formed and well-placed arguments, swayed his flock to his way of thinking. Regardless of what one’s personal stand on these events may be, and whether or not one may agree with Graham on these issues, it cannot be denied that he indeed possesses influence and charisma – and that he has used these traits as a way to bring people closer to God. Billy Graham – How He Does It The previous two parts respectively focused on the life of Billy Graham and his political leanings. In them, one can very much observe not only the highlights in his long-running career as an evangelist, but also the obstacles and trials he faced along the way – and how he was able to overcome these to become America’s pastor. The decisions he made along the way – by way of the things he either did or did not do at some point in his career – have undoubtedly contributed to the current level of respect and reverence given to him by the American public. As such, this next section aims to examine some of the effective decisions and tradecraft he has adopted throughout his storied career. For instance, even early on in his career, Graham had already realized that if he was going to lead a flock of millions to find and get to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, he would have act accordingly. Most imperative of all, he would need to adopt a clean and moral lifestyle. While his motives and intentions were clean, and hardly if at all self-serving, he had enough sense to realize that he would not be taken seriously if his words and actions did not add up. As such, he practiced a notably upright and upstanding lifestyle that, while not everyone may believe is sincere, undeniably helped him to become widely accepted and celebrated not only by his countrymen, but all over the world. First among these also happens to be foremost among Graham’s set of personal rules, emphasizing fidelity to his wife. As such, he refused to remain alone with any one woman who was not his spouse, and made absolutely sure he would not be spotted with other women in compromising situations. Among observers and followers of his career, this rule became known as ‘the Billy Graham Rule’ (Olasky, 2006)12. At this, certain cynics may remain rather skeptical, and may point out that there would be no way of knowing whether he indeed remained faithful to his word and to his marriage. One of their most common arguments would be that Graham could easily have snuck off while everyone else was otherwise occupied in order to have fun, for lack of a more appropriate phrase. However, close observation should reveal that this would be highly improbable, if not impossible. For one thing, one might think that if Billy Graham indeed committed adultery at certain points in his life, the media would latch on to this, regardless of whether this would simply be dismissed as rumors and gossip due to his influence. It should also be noted that fidelity to his wife is something Graham has become known for, and that there has been practically no reason to doubt this all throughout his long life. Thus, while it would indeed be ironic if it turned out that Billy Graham actually violated one of the rules he is best known for, such would be highly unlikely to be the case. Another reason why Billy Graham has been so successful in having touched so many people throughout his life is his understanding of how the game works. For instance, he knew perfectly well that it would not be enough for him to merely televise his sermons in a small, isolated studio. Thus, he opted to conduct these sermons in large venues such as stadiums and wide, open fields, so as to allow as many people as possible to catch at least some parts of his sermons. Under such a setup, the event would be open to everyone; unlike studios which can only hold a limited number, these venues are able to accommodate multitudes – a fact that has contributed to Graham’s current status as America’s pastor. An alternate interpretation also underscores the sincerity and authenticity of Graham and his intentions. One would notice that his sermons, missions and prayer rallies are conducted out in the open, and thus construe that Graham has no evil intentions and has nothing to hide – as opposed to other religions such as Scientology, which hold such events behind closed doors, barring the public from bearing witness to what is going on or otherwise charging them an exorbitant amount of money to do so. Unlike these examples, Billy Graham conducts his prayer rallies in plain view of the public, signifying that he has no reason to be ashamed of his intentions – and in the process, remaining true to God’s will that he spread the faith to as many people as possible. These sermons typically begin with him asking the public seemingly innocuous questions, or otherwise an anecdote of some sort, which the speaker shall then proceed to relate to the matter at hand – how the anecdote or question has to do with spirituality, belief in God, moral values and the like. However, Billy Graham’s sermons were more unique in comparison; rather than limiting or confining himself merely to relating such anecdotes to his audience, he would have a choir singing Gospel songs, and would read out passages from the Gospel. Audience members would be enjoined to come forward and talk one-on-one with a counselor on spiritual and personal matters, and then receive guidance according to whatever trials they were currently facing in their life. At the end of it, these audience members would then receive a copy of the Bible, or of the Gospels, which they would be encouraged to read on a daily basis. From here, the effectiveness of Graham’s preaching can be observed. While it is not unlikely for him to have possibly employed the more conventional approach at least early on in his career, it is his own unique style that has resulted in him becoming one of America’s de facto spiritual leaders. By having a choir sing Gospel songs, he puts his crowd in the proper mindset most conducive to the activity at hand, and the Gospel readings likewise give them something to think about and reflect on in silent prayer. These reflections then give rise to new insights, which they would then be inclined to share with the counselors on hand. Finally, the Bible passages they receive at the end would serve as further guidance in their everyday lives – and would no doubt help in preventing them from forgetting the insights and learnings they obtained at the sermon. Without a shadow of a doubt, Billy Graham was able to use these methods to great effect – which is why he obtained so many followers in the first place. Even at an early point in his career, he understood that the best sermons do not boil down merely to the facilitator lecturing his audience, or worse, shoving ideas down their throats. Instead, he incorporates his audience into his talk, allowing them to apply his lessons by factoring in their own experiences into the equation. Conclusion From all that has been said, one may note that Billy Graham’s reputation as America’s pastor is well-deserved, as are the numerous accolades to his name. Through his sermons and prayer rallies, he has helped millions rediscover their faith in God, and to develop a more intimate relationship with him as their Creator. Unlike other would-be evangelists who do nothing but force ideas down the throats of their followers, Graham instead let them discover their sense of spirituality for themselves, guiding rather than forcing them down the road to enlightenment. Also unlike these other pretenders, whose actions were sometimes at odds with their words and sermons, Billy Graham sought to live a life befitting his self-identified role as a messenger of God. Where other so-called pastors would preach certain virtues but practice the vices directly opposing them, Graham would not even place himself in situations that would give others the wrong idea. Again, the fact that so many people have discovered their spirituality thanks to him should serve as testament to the purity of his intent. It has once been said that one can show another person the door, but cannot make him walk through it; that decision lies with the individual alone. In the same way, what sets Billy Graham apart from other pastors is that he helped and guided people in discovering their own spirituality – while he was undoubtedly an important part of the process, it was their efforts that were foremost in deepening their relationships with God. All in all, it is safe to say that Billy Graham’s place as a spiritual leader of the American people is well-deserved. Bibliography Baker, Peter 2010. Obama visits the Rev. Billy Graham. The New York Times. April 24 Bloom, Harold 1999. Billy Graham: The preacher. Time Magazine. June 14 Duffy, Michael and Gibbs, Nancy 2007. Billy Graham: A spiritual gift to all. Time Magazine. May 31 Firestone, David 2002. Billy Graham responds to lingering anger over 1972 remarks on Jews. The New York Times. March 17 Gibbs, Nancy and Ostling, Richard N. 1993. God’s Billy pulpit. Time Magazine. November 15 Grossman, Cathy Lynn 2009. In Nixon tapes, Billy Graham refers to ‘synagogue of Satan’. USA Today. June 24 Horstman, Barry M. 2002. Billy Graham: a man with a mission. The Cincinatti Post. June 27 King, Randall E. 1997. When worlds collide: politics, religion, and media at the 1970 East Tennessee Billy Graham Crusade. Journal of Church and State. March 22 Land, Richard 2009. Confronting Graham’s Demons. The Christian Post. June 25 Meacham, Jon 2006. Pilgrim’s progress. Newsweek Magazine. August 13 Olasky, Marvin 2006. Salt, not sugar: twenty years of WORLD-class reporting. WORLD. p. 78 Usborne, David 2005. Billy Graham and the last crusade. The Independent. June 25 Read More