BILLY GRAHAM

DEAR DR. GRAHAM: My uncle is active in his church and all that, but when he gets behind the wheel of his car he’s an absolute maniac. Maybe you could say something about the need for safe driving. We’re afraid he’s going to kill someone one of these days.

— Mrs. T.L. DEAR MRS. T.L.: I’m afraid we’ve heard the statistics on vehicular deaths and injuries so often that we’ve almost grown indifferent — but they are appalling. Every year tens of thousands are killed on our roads, and hundreds of thousands more are injured — often for life. How can we be so unconcerned?

Driving isn’t just an important social issue — it’s also a moral and spiritual issue. If we ignore the rules of the road and endanger others by the way we drive, we are violating God’s mandate to avoid hurting others. The Bible says, “Now choose life, so that you and your children may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Why does your uncle seemingly turn into a different person when he gets behind the wheel? One reason, I suspect, is because he’s never learned to control his impatience. Patience comes hard to some of us — and yet it’s essential to safe driving. The same can be said of anger; an angry driver is an unsafe driver, no matter where they are.

Share your concerns with your uncle — gently and yet openly. Ask others in the family to share their concerns also. The Bible says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is ... gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Send your queries to “My Answer,” c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28201; call 877-2-GRAHAM, or visit the website for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: www.billygraham.org.

TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE