Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on April 25, 2010
President Obama meets with Billy Graham.
U.S. President Barack Obama met with 91-year-old Billy Graham today at the evangelist’s North Carolina home. It was Obama’s first meeting with Graham, who has met with every president back to Harry Truman. The two tried to meet back in 2008 during the presidential campaign but it never happened due to scheduling conflicts. It was also Graham’s first meeting with a president in his Montreat, N.C., home.
Graham presented Obama with two Bibles, one for him and one for his wife. The two also prayed for each other.
Like other presidents before him, Obama confided with Graham how lonely, demanding and humbling the presidency can be:
“That is a discussion that Mr. Graham has had with previous presidents who realize not only the demands but the loneliness of the job. And they’re humbled by that,” [Graham spokesman Larry] Ross said. “The only way one can do the job properly is to draw on spiritual resources.”
Graham and Obama spoke for about 35 minutes over coffee. The discussion included their wives, their past history in Chicago and golf.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on January 29, 2009
Billy Graham has had personal contact with ten U.S. presidents, from George W. Bush back to Harry Truman. He had close, personal friendships with a number of them, and counseled and prayed with all of them. These relationships have given Billy Graham the title of America’s pastor and access to the most powerful men in the world.
The book The Preacher and the Presidents: Billy Graham in the White House, by TIME magazine veterans Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy, profiles Graham’s relationship with each president and their families. The book goes into incredible detail, digging through personal correspondence and White House records.
The result is a 50-years snapshot of presidential politics that have tried and tested the world’s greatest evangelist. Though Graham tried to stay out of politics and offer neutral prayer and counsel regardless of political party, he didn’t always live up to that. On multiple occasions he allowed his bias to sway votes, though he would often step back from the brink and regret too much political action.
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Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on January 26, 2009
Billy Graham has a long history of involvement in presidential politics, sometimes being less than completely neutral. But the then-89-year-old evangelist mostly stayed out of the 2008 presidential campaign. He did meet with Republican presidential candidate John McCain in the summer of 2008. In October eventual winner and Democratic candidate Barack Obama tried to meet with the evangelist but the visit was canceled due to Graham’s health.
But perhaps the under-reported story is how Billy Graham felt about the vice-presidential candidate and Alaskan governor Sarah Palin. According to Gigi Graham, Billy’s oldest daughter, the evangelist was fond of Palin:
“He’s a typical man. I don’t care if he’s 90 years old, he thought that she is so pretty,” Gigi Graham said. “He loves a pretty woman.”
The comment has little context and is buried in an article about Billy Graham turning 90, but it’s still bizarre. It’s also sad that the comment continues the widespread emphasis on Palin’s looks instead of her politics. Hopefully it’s more an out-of-context joke on Gigi’s part.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on January 17, 2009
Billy Graham has offered many inaugural prayers and sermons for incoming presidents. He won’t be doing so this year, though his name still comes up, but we can look to one of his past prayers, the 1969 inaugural prayer for Richard Nixon:
“We beseech Thee that he will have Thy divine guidance and power daily. Help him as Thou didst help Thy servants of old. Our Father, we know his burdens and responsibilities will be overwhelming. He will hold in his hands the destiny of more people than any man in history. O God, our new President needs Thee as no man ever needed Thee in leading a people! There will be times when he will be overwhelmed by the problems at home and abroad that have been building up to the breaking point for many years. Protect him from physical danger. And in the lonely moments of decision grant him an uncompromising courage to do what is morally right. Give him a cool head and a warm heart. Give him a compassion for those in physical, moral, and spiritual need. We pray that Thou wilt so guide Richard Nixon in handling the affairs of state that the whole world will marvel and glorify Thee.
Those “lonely moments of decision” didn’t turn out so well for Nixon (or Graham, for that matter), but hindsight is 20/20. These same words could be said for Barack Obama today, as Graham has reminded people time and time again to pray for presidents no matter their political party.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on January 7, 2009
Billy Graham has had personal interactions with every U.S. president going back to Harry Truman and has counseled many of them. But that historic role, chronicled in the book The Preacher and the Presidents, may be coming to an end. Franklin Graham, Billy Graham’s son and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, told USA Today that Billy Graham would not be mentoring Barack Obama, though the 90-year-old evangelist would like to meet and pray with the president elect.
“My father feels like his time and day for that is over,” Franklin Graham said. “But he would certainly like to meet [Obama] and pray with him.”
Obama tried to meet with Billy Graham during the campaign but wasn’t able to due Billy’s poor health.
While Billy Graham is a registered Democrat (a fact that still seems to raise eyebrows in some circles), Franklin Graham made it clear that he and his father disagree with Obama on abortion and gay marriage.
“President-elect Obama heard our position,” said Franklin Graham. “And I told him that this was very difficult for us and hard for us. It’s a moral issue that we just can’t back down on.”
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on January 1, 2009
In a recent interview with Christianity Today, Billy Graham’s son Franklin Graham commented about his father’s age:
“He’s 90 years old. He’s just happy to get up in the morning.”
The interview covered the controversy over evangelical pastor Rick Warren being invited to pray at president-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration and Graham was responding to a question about Billy Graham not serving as Obama’s spiritual adviser. Billy Graham is also currently writing a book about growing old.
