American prophet

Billy Graham left an indelible mark

Billy Graham, who has died at age 99, changed America, changed the world and changed the hearts of millions of individuals, as he had many, many years before changed his own. He stands as an American giant of the 20th century.

As nearly every obituary notes, he was a chaplain to presidents and kings. His crusades — speaking tours that filled huge civic auditoriums and sports arenas with thousands of people — went on for decades and were often nationally televised. He wrote books and newspaper columns. He took his mission, and his message, to 105 countries.

He was quite literally an industry unto himself and a phenomenon.

The once dreamy farm boy and indifferent student became one of the most famous and influential men in the world. He was the very definition of an American original — self-invented, without precedent or peer, and never to be seen again.

Yet, he might point us to what he might see as his failures. He might say he didn’t change enough hearts. He would certainly say that he did not change our culture nearly enough. Look around. Indeed, one might argue that our culture is less God-fearing and less God-centric than ever.

One might argue that Billy Graham failed to stem the tide and that people are more distracted by our toys and demons than ever.

Many people forget that Rev. Graham was a serious man — a man of deep thought and spirituality, and not just a great evangelist but a pastor who stood by the bedsides of the dying and a true theologian. That is, his subjects were the ultimate ones: Why am I here? How can I make my life meaningful? How ought I conduct myself in this world? How do I connect with the divine?

In a 1999 TED Talk in the Silicon Valley, Rev. Graham told his audience that there were three questions technology cannot answer or even address: Why is there evil? Why is there suffering? How can human beings avoid regret when they face death?

For him, the only answer was to follow the teachings of Jesus and to imitate his manner and his ethic.

In his last public message, the preacher gave three pillars of advice: Follow Jesus by helping other people, read the Bible (start with the Gospel of Luke), and go to your knees every day and pray. It is safe to say that gate has narrowed, not widened.

So was Rev. Graham a failure? All great lives — and most not so great ones — end in failure. But some fail nobly. Indisputably, Billy Graham served truth and the Lord. You cannot do better than that.