good & faithful servant

To transcend generation, ethnicity, and division, is beautiful; it’s something most of us struggle with daily. For Billy Graham, the practice was not a struggle. He crossed cultural, social, religious and political lines. He befriended every President back to Harry Truman; Lyndon Johnson was, in fact, considered one of his closest friends. Graham looked at no man/woman better than self; he looked at absolutely no one as morally inferior.

Such wisdom… for both the believer and the skeptic… as said by Graham…

“Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God.”

“The only time my prayers are never answered is on the golf course.”

“God is more interested in your future and your relationships than you are.”

“A real Christian is a person who can give his pet parrot to the town gossip.”

“Sincere Christians can disagree about the details of Scripture and theology — absolutely.”

“God has given us two hands – one to receive with and the other to give with. We are not cisterns made for hoarding; we are channels made for sharing.”

“Self-centered indulgence, pride and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle.”

“Auschwitz stands as a tragic reminder of the terrible potential man has for violence and inhumanity.”

“Throughout my ministry, I have sought to build bridges between Jews and Christians.”

“A child who is allowed to be disrespectful to his parents will not have true respect for anyone.”

“Read the Bible. Work hard and honestly. And don’t complain.”

“Man has two great spiritual needs. One is for forgiveness. The other is for goodness.”

“We have an idea that we Americans are God’s chosen people, that God loves us more than any other people, and that we are God’s blessed. I tell you that God doesn’t love us any more than He does the Russians.”

“The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, ‘O God, forgive me,’ or ‘Help me.'”

“Racial prejudice, anti-Semitism, or hatred of anyone with different beliefs has no place in the human mind or heart.”

“The wonderful news is that our Lord is a God of mercy, and He responds to repentance.”

“I can’t explain 9/11, except the evil of man.”

“The Oklahoma City bombing was simple technology, horribly used. The problem is not technology. The problem is the person or persons using it.”

“God’s mercy and grace give me hope — for myself, and for our world.”

“The framers of our Constitution meant we were to have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.”

“There are a lot of groups that feel a little bit strange around me, because I am inclusive.”

“I’ve read the last page of the Bible. It’s all going to turn out all right.”

“God knows what we are going through when we grieve, and He wants to assure us of His love and concern. He also wants us to turn to Him and bring our heartaches and burdens to Him.”

“It is not the body’s posture, but the heart’s attitude that counts when we pray.”

And…

“My home is in Heaven. I’m just traveling through this world.”

“Just traveling,” he said.

To a man who admittedly had very few “sad days,” thank you, Billy Graham… thank you for representing Christianity well by pointing to God, speaking compassion, and by always offering both grace and truth in full and generous measure.

Well done.

Respectfully…
AR