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 22, 2009
Take a retro ride into Christianity circa 1971 with your favorite crusading hipster, Billy Graham. That’s the basic feel of The Jesus Generation by Billy Graham.
In a book that’s understandably out-of-print, Graham tries to “rap” with the youth of America and get them to “turn on” to Jesus. Graham often borrows campy ’60s and ’70s expressions in an attempt to connect with the younger generation, and 30 years later it’s kind of funny.
As a challenging and encouraging devotional book it falls a little short. As a retro ride it’s very insightful and entertaining.
The book is very telling of the times (there’s a lot of environmental doom and gloom), and you even learn that on a few occasions Billy Graham himself visited various rock festivals, protests and love-ins in an attempt to understand the masses. Of course he attended “incognito” (meaning he donned a hat, sun glasses, and a big sweater).
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks on December 29, 2008
Billy Graham—the 90-year-old evangelist who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, has a shunt in his brain, has had prostate cancer and most recently spent a night in the hospital for observation after tripping over one of his three dogs—is writing a book about growing old.
“He’s always been ready to die,” said his son Franklin Graham, “But nobody’s prepared him for getting old.”
The book will cover Billy Graham’s personal experience with growing old and will focus on how people can prepare both emotionally and spiritually for what can be the most fulfilling years of life.
“I never expected to live this long, and it is hard to believe I have reached the age of 90,” said Billy Graham. “Every day is a gift from God, no matter how old we are. I have discovered that just because we grow weaker physically as we age, it doesn’t mean that we must grow weaker spiritually. In fact, we ought to be growing stronger spiritually because our eyes ought to be on eternity and heaven—on the things that really matter.”
Family and friends have expressed concern over Billy Graham’s health and note that he still struggles with the loss of his wife, the late Ruth Bell Graham, who died in 2007.
“He could catch a cold and his life could come to end,” Franklin said. “At his age, any little thing could be a serious event. We realize that.”
