When you are raised by a Baptist father and spend a lot of time in the home of your Baptist grandparents; it’s safe to say that Billy Graham had an impact on your life.
I don’t remember when I first became aware of the “Protestant Pope,” but I certainly remembered my parents watching his Crusades when they were broadcast on television and seeing his latest best-selling book and chatty newsletter lying atop my grandmother’s coffee table. In fact, he was so much a part of my life; I thought he was a family friend!
“How long has grandma known Billy Graham?” I asked my mom at some point.
Mom laughed. “What makes you think grandma knows Billy Graham?”
I shrugged. “I saw the letter he wrote her that started out, ‘Dear Ruth…’ I mean you don’t address someone that informally unless you know them, right?”
Mom nodded. “Or unless you are a regular donor and on the mailing list.”
Form letters aside, it was hard not to be impressed with the man’s style. Billy Graham possessed a stage presence that somehow never crossed over into showmanship. He had a passion that could not be parodied and his conviction never seemed contrived. He was the spiritual advisor to several presidents. He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with other world leaders, became a friend to the Catholic community and helped the nation heal after 9/11. Just as so many non-Catholics connected with St. John Paul II, there are plenty of Catholics who appreciated the work of Reverend Graham. He was truly America’s Pastor and, in a way, he belonged to all of us.
I had the opportunity to hear Reverend Graham speak in the late ‘90s. He came to Indianapolis on one of his final Crusades and because of his iconic status not to mention how much he meant to members of my family, I wanted to be there. Though Graham had mellowed a bit with age, his faith was still on fire and I could not help but be moved by his words. Near the end of his sermon, he issued his altar call and to my surprise, my 10-year-old son insisted we answer it.
“Son, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but you are already a baptized Catholic,” I told him.
The boy gave me a funny look. “Since when is it wrong to profess our faith? Isn’t that what we do each week at Mass?”
He had a point, so I took him down to the floor of the arena where a kind volunteer took his information and promised to let our priest know that he attended the event. As the two of them prayed together, my eyes wandered to the stage expecting to see Reverend Graham watching over the proceedings, but to my surprise he wasn’t there. He did not need the ego boost. He did not need to count the number of souls he brought to Christ. He’d done his job and now, he turned the work over to God. He didn’t have to pat himself on the back or take a lot of curtain calls for his efforts. His nearly unblemished career survived a time when several other “exalted men” fell in the ‘80s. I have all kinds of respect for that.
If there is one person I assume to have a straight shot into the arms of God when he died, it would be Billy Graham and yet, he never assumed it was a guarantee. He answered God’s call and followed a vocation that transcended denomination for more than 60 years, but he never allowed himself to become overconfident. He refused to get an inflated ego over the breadth of his influence. Whether he was speaking at a tent revival or lending an ear to a world leader, he did not see himself as anything more than a simple servant, a flawed human and a man merely trying to spread the gospel of Christ.
It is that kind of person who will “go home” feeling justified in their efforts rather than those who seek out glory and praise and it is that humble man/woman who will be exalted in the eyes of God.
Rest in peace, Reverend Graham, and thank you for your voice.
Today’s readings for Mass: HOS 6:1-6; PS 51: 3-4, 18-19, 20-21AB; LK 18: 9-14
