George Will takes down Billy Graham's star a notch in this retrospective:
Billy Graham: Neither prophet nor theologian
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/02/21/george-will-billy-graham-neither-prophet-nor-theologian/
One may well agree that some of the sentiments expressed in Mr. Will's column cannot be brushed off as meaningless -- but even so who among us would like to have his entire career assessed by a few less-than-noble incidents? Even the best among us is on some days just plain dumb. Even born-again persons make mistakes. How can they not? They are only human, meaning that their human nature is at work, perhaps on some days even quenching the Spirit.
Surely Mr. Will would not like to be remembered principally for the covert cash payoffs he took from Conrad Black
https://fair.org/take-action/action-alerts/are-george-wills-conflicts-none-of-your-business/
or his oft-reported secret doings at the Bilderberg meetings, where one of the aims is to groom favored politicians and journalists who are expected to promote Rockefeller-Kissinger globalism over against "fundamentalist"-backed nationalism. (The Bilderberg organization does not list Mr. Will as a participant.)
While one may accept that Dr. Graham was far from a professional theologian, the evangelist did do what he meant to do: preach, in plain language, the gospel of salvation via Jesus Christ. Was he called to be a theologian or a political commentator? Probably not. Yet, one would be hard put to claim that Dr. Graham was not called to evangelize.
After all, men with the gifts of the Apostle Paul are not minted every day. Yet, should we not be thankful for every laborer in the fields of the Lord. The harvest is great but the laborers are few.
Now as to the very serious charge of anti-Semitism leveled by Mr. Will, we should put things in perspective. Dr. Graham may have thought that the non-Christian beliefs of some Jews bred an amorality that led to some undesirable results. Yet, more importantly, Dr. Graham clearly believed what he preached: that all have fallen short of the glory of God and are in desperate need of God's loving forgiveness.
And, twisting the knife, Mr. Will pours scorn on William Randolph Hearst's influence in igniting Billy Graham's spectacular career, noting that Mr. Hearst was hardly an exemplar of Christian virtue. It is as if Mr. Will has never read his Bible, in which the grace and Providence of God toward those who trust him may well be effected via worldly authorities. Consider the prophet Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar, or Joseph and Pharaoh. Surely Dr. Graham saw Hearst's intervention as God's mysterious grace.
Turning to another of Mr. Will's criticisms: Did some of those who publicly turned to Jesus do so for shallow emotional reasons rather than to satisfy their yearning and need for God's forgiveness and love? Quite possibly. In the parable of the seed sown in rich soil and shallow soil, Jesus himself speaks of the different results of the broadcasting of the seed. The seed takes root in one mind but in another is torn out at the first sign of trouble. In another, the budding word is snarled and choked by worldly business.
How wonderful it would be that even one soul -- one human being's inner core -- was saved via Dr. Graham's influence! Has Mr. Will ever lifted a finger to help save one soul? Or has he been overly mindful of his disdain for "cheap grace"? One may wonder whether Mr. Will rejoices at the thought of the Savior's mission of mercy, whether, that is, his heart shouts "Hallelujah!" when he thinks of the many perishing souls saved and welcomed into the arms of the Lord.
God bless George Will.
Billy Graham: Neither prophet nor theologian
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/02/21/george-will-billy-graham-neither-prophet-nor-theologian/
One may well agree that some of the sentiments expressed in Mr. Will's column cannot be brushed off as meaningless -- but even so who among us would like to have his entire career assessed by a few less-than-noble incidents? Even the best among us is on some days just plain dumb. Even born-again persons make mistakes. How can they not? They are only human, meaning that their human nature is at work, perhaps on some days even quenching the Spirit.
Surely Mr. Will would not like to be remembered principally for the covert cash payoffs he took from Conrad Black
https://fair.org/take-action/action-alerts/are-george-wills-conflicts-none-of-your-business/
or his oft-reported secret doings at the Bilderberg meetings, where one of the aims is to groom favored politicians and journalists who are expected to promote Rockefeller-Kissinger globalism over against "fundamentalist"-backed nationalism. (The Bilderberg organization does not list Mr. Will as a participant.)
While one may accept that Dr. Graham was far from a professional theologian, the evangelist did do what he meant to do: preach, in plain language, the gospel of salvation via Jesus Christ. Was he called to be a theologian or a political commentator? Probably not. Yet, one would be hard put to claim that Dr. Graham was not called to evangelize.
After all, men with the gifts of the Apostle Paul are not minted every day. Yet, should we not be thankful for every laborer in the fields of the Lord. The harvest is great but the laborers are few.
Now as to the very serious charge of anti-Semitism leveled by Mr. Will, we should put things in perspective. Dr. Graham may have thought that the non-Christian beliefs of some Jews bred an amorality that led to some undesirable results. Yet, more importantly, Dr. Graham clearly believed what he preached: that all have fallen short of the glory of God and are in desperate need of God's loving forgiveness.
And, twisting the knife, Mr. Will pours scorn on William Randolph Hearst's influence in igniting Billy Graham's spectacular career, noting that Mr. Hearst was hardly an exemplar of Christian virtue. It is as if Mr. Will has never read his Bible, in which the grace and Providence of God toward those who trust him may well be effected via worldly authorities. Consider the prophet Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar, or Joseph and Pharaoh. Surely Dr. Graham saw Hearst's intervention as God's mysterious grace.
Turning to another of Mr. Will's criticisms: Did some of those who publicly turned to Jesus do so for shallow emotional reasons rather than to satisfy their yearning and need for God's forgiveness and love? Quite possibly. In the parable of the seed sown in rich soil and shallow soil, Jesus himself speaks of the different results of the broadcasting of the seed. The seed takes root in one mind but in another is torn out at the first sign of trouble. In another, the budding word is snarled and choked by worldly business.
How wonderful it would be that even one soul -- one human being's inner core -- was saved via Dr. Graham's influence! Has Mr. Will ever lifted a finger to help save one soul? Or has he been overly mindful of his disdain for "cheap grace"? One may wonder whether Mr. Will rejoices at the thought of the Savior's mission of mercy, whether, that is, his heart shouts "Hallelujah!" when he thinks of the many perishing souls saved and welcomed into the arms of the Lord.
God bless George Will.
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