The Billy Graham Freeway…The Billy Graham Christian Training Center…Asheville…Montreat…The Blue Ridge Parkway…
Yesterday Nancy, JJ and I took a drive west into the Smoky Mountains and along the Blue Ridge, an amazingly beautiful part of our nation. The southern anchor of the Ridge is Asheville, a smallish town nestled in a very picturesque setting, a launching point for white water rafting and touring, and the home of Billy Graham. Which of these reasons for note is most important I do not know, but for me it is probably the association with Billy Graham—a man for whom universal respect has been earned by faithfulness to the call of God.
The year was 1967 and I was a student at Fuller Theological Seminary. Back then the seminary was relatively small, just over 200 students, and just beginning its rise to become what it is today—one of the finest theological institutions in the world. Students and faculty mixed back then in the refectory (a fancy name for dining hall) where we shared meals and conversations. I sat down that day next to an elderly gentleman (maybe my age now—how perspective changes!), and we began to talk. He was an old-time evangelist and he proceeded to announce that he had been instrumental in the rise of a then young evangelist by the name of Billy Graham. I asked him how, and he related this story.
He said that he was an acquaintance of William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper magnate, and had been invited to Hearst Castle for dinner. Over the meal he began to talk with Hearst about a new evangelist who was just starting a crusade in Los Angeles. His host seemed interested in what he was saying, and asked several questions—then went over to a phone that was nearby. He picked up the phone, dialed the editor of one of his newspapers, The Los Angeles Times, and gave this order, Push Graham…
The rest is history. The Los Angeles crusade received a great deal of media attention and Billy Graham’s star was on the rise. From then on he was not just an evangelist but he was the evangelist. And his faithful proclamation has served the gospel well…
Now, I can not promise that what the man sitting next to me in the refectory said was true. I do know that it was that crusade that began to separate Billy Graham out from the rest of the evangelists. But what it shows me is how one person using one opportunity to do something to promote the gospel can make a difference. It also shows me how we never know how the seeds we plant will grow. We need to always be ready to sow the seeds, and leave the growth up to God.
Tomorrow I fly to Zurich, then on from there by bike with my friend Brian from N. Ireland. Nancy has three more weeks here with Emily, Steve and Colette. Again, if you are interested in family photos of the baby, let me know and I will tell you how to access them…
In His Adventures, Will Ackles