December 12, 2023 • 38 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, Billy Graham took the role of evangelist to a new level, lifting it from the sawdust floors of canvas tents in small-town America to the podiums of packed stadiums in the world’s major cities.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
This is Lee Habib and this is our American Stories,
and we tell stories about everything here on this show,
from the arts to sports, and from business to history
and everything in between, including your story. Send them to
our American Stories dot com. There's some of our favorites.
Eleven presidents, the Pope, and dozens of world leaders have
shared their personal thoughts about matters of faith with him.
(00:33):
We would like to give a wholehearted thank you to
the folks at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for granting
us permission to use the footage you're about to hear
from their exceptional film, Billy Graham An Extraordinary Journey. Here's
Greg Hengler with the story of Billy Graham.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Billy Graham was born on a dairy farm in Charlotte,
North Carolinamber seventh, nineteen eighteen. As a boy, he spent
his time following baseball, reading Tarzan, and perfecting his techniques
swinging from vines in the nearby woods. Here's Billy's mother,
Marl Graham, his sister Jeane, his brother Melvin, and Billy himself.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Every afternoon as Billy came through the doll mother, those
were his first words, and I knew Billy was on
the premises. He read EVERYTT call and book, and then
he would go down in the woods and he would
try to act out. It didn't work too well.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
He and Melvin weren't on the dairy farm.
Speaker 5 (01:41):
Melvin loved the hard work.
Speaker 6 (01:44):
Billy Frank really didn't like to do physical work. Never did.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
My brother was interested primarily in two things. That would be.
Speaker 7 (01:54):
Baseball and girls.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
I'm not sure which order. So I was just a
champreate kid having a big time doing everything else that
every other high school kid was doing. I didn't care
anything about God or religion, or Hell or the devil
or anything else.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Billy was brought up in a devout Christian household, but
he had no interest in religious things. But when he
was fifteen, a friend informed him that some of the
high school students in Charlotte were going to pick it
the very popular traveling evangelist Mordecai Ham, declaring he has
no business telling us how to live our lives this
(02:33):
day and age. Billy went to see the standoff, but
when the students failed to show up, he decided to
go in and here for himself what this preacher had
to say. Here's Billy the voice of Mordecai Ham and
Billy's mother and brother.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
When Mordecai Ham came to Charlotte, I thought it was
some sort of big circle, saw a big emotional event,
and I didn't have any thoughts about ever going. I've
never seen some large crowd attending a religious meeting. I
think three or four thousand people, and it made a
great impression on me, and I decided I wanted to
go back the next night, and then the next and
then the next.
Speaker 8 (03:11):
You cannot be justified by your old fifty rash in
your own works. It's what Christ has done for you
and will do in you and.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
All other By that time, I was coming under conviction
that I was a sinner, that I needed redemption myself,
that I needed Christ in my heart. I was a
church member, but I still knew that something was lacking.
I knew that I didn't have that personal relationship with Christ.
One night, when the invitation was given, I just said, Lord,
(03:45):
I'm going. And it was on the last verse of
the last song that they sang in about four hundred
temple went follow the night I did, And when I
stood there, I thought to myself, what a fool I'm
making myself in front of.
Speaker 5 (03:56):
All my friends here.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
I went up to my room that night, didn't feel
any different. And I remember kneeling down as a full
moonlight night, and I never knelt before. I never prayed
like that before. And I said, Lord, I don't know
what's happened. I don't know what this means, but whatever
it means, I would appreciate your help.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
There was a definite turn in his life. We knew
then that the Lord had really gotten a whole.
Speaker 9 (04:29):
Lot of it.
Speaker 10 (04:30):
His emphasis became more on what the preacher had been
preaching in wanting to know where he could go and
learn something about the Bible.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
In nineteen thirty seven, Billy rolled in the Florida Bible Institute.
It was here where he experienced a calling he couldn't deny.
Speaker 4 (04:49):
I just felt God was speaking to me, and he
said I want to use you. And I put up
all the arguments I could that I was not capable
and didn't have the proper education. But God was calling
me and I knew that. So I got on my
knees right there and I said, Lord, I'll go where
(05:11):
you want me to go, and I'll be what you
want me to be and I said, I'm yours. My
first sermon in a sort of big church was the
first Baptist Church of Venice. I prinched all a Sunday morning,
and the church was filled not to hear me. They
(05:32):
know me from Adam. I gave an invitation at the
end of my talk for people to come forward, and
I'd never done that before, and eleven people came. I'll
never forget that, and I was so moved in my
own heart that I said, Lord, maybe you have given
(05:55):
me a gift that I didn't know that I can
give an invitation and people will come to And I
began to give invitations after that.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
In nineteen forty five, Billy joined the Youth for Christ
as a traveling evangelist, flying over one million miles during
the next four years. But he soon faced a dilemma
that threatened to derail his emerging ministry. Here's Billy's son,
Franklin Graham.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
There was this debate going on within his friends that
began to question scripture, and we're questioning why my father
believed in the Bible to be the wholly inspired word
of God.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
The arguments were that you couldn't really trust the scriptures,
and that only the old fashioned fundamentalists could trust the scriptures.
And I began to think, well, perhaps they're right, Maybe
this Bible isn't as authoritative as I thought it was.
And I remember how disturbed I was, But that because
(06:59):
I always believed in the Bible.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Billy Graham was at a crossroads. The summer of nineteen
forty nine would bring him to a watershed moment.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
And you've been listening to the life story of Billy Graham,
as important a person as there was in the twentieth century.
And I don't mean just a pastor. And when we
come back, we'll continue this remarkable story, Billy Graham's story
here on our American Stories. Here are to our American Stories.
(07:32):
We bring you inspiring stories of history, sports, business, faith,
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Our stories are free to listen to, but they're not
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(07:53):
a lot, help us keep the great American stories coming.
That's our American Stories dot Com. And we continue now
with the story of Billy Graham's life, and Greg Hangler
(08:14):
is always doing a great job on the piece. Let's
get back to Billy Graham.
Speaker 11 (08:20):
I remember many years ago I went through a terrible
struggle intellectually about the Bible. And I was concerned and
worried and battling with myself. And I remember going out
in the moonlight, out in the forest, and.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
I took this Bible.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
And I said, Lord, I don't understand all about this Bible.
There are many things I cannot explain. I remember laying
the Bible out on a stump and I said, Lord,
this is your book. I'm going to accept it by faith.
I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, and he
(08:58):
saved me and changed me and transform me. I'm accepting
this as your word by faith. I remember I used
to prepare my sermons by getting a little outline and
then tearing up a Bible and pasting them under those
different points. And I just kept quoting the scriptures and
saying the Bible says, and it had its own built
in power to go, and God honored it.
Speaker 12 (09:20):
The Bible says, I am the looved.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
I change up evidence of his new confidence presented itself
in Los Angeles. Here's Billy Graham's biographer, William Martin and
Nephew Mill.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
When we started in those meetings in the tent at
Washington and Hill Street, I had this tremendous experience in
which I had experienced the authority of the scriptures, and
I went there and quoted the scriptures.
Speaker 12 (09:47):
I believe this sincerely from the depth of my heart.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
The meetings began to gather a little momentum during those
first three weeks, and then.
Speaker 13 (09:56):
One night, in what is one of the pivotal events
in Graham's career, he showed up at the tent and
the place was overflowing with newspaper reports.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
I said, what has happened? Why are you all here?
And one of them said, You've just been kissed by
William Randolph Hurst.
Speaker 9 (10:12):
And he showed him a piece of paper that looked
like it had been torn off of a wire service
machine and there were two famous words on it.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
Puff Graham, you know, I never met mister Hurst. I
never had any correspondence with him in.
Speaker 10 (10:26):
My whole life.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
Whatever the reason, it certainly started a chain of events
that I never dreamed.
Speaker 13 (10:32):
And then that followed by Associated Press United Press International
News Service soon after its stories in Time Life, Newsweek,
and Billy Graham became nationally known. After that, the tent
was expanded, people standing outside, and a revival went on
another four weeks, which placed something of a burden on
(10:53):
Billy Graham.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
One night, at the encouragement of his wife and her
Christian friends, Louise Zamporini reluctantly joined the crowd. He gained
fame as an Olympic track star in nineteen thirty six,
and then, while on a search and rescue mission during
World War II, mechanical difficulties forced Samporini's plane to crash
into the ocean. After drifting at sea for forty seven days,
(11:20):
he was taken to a Japanese prison camp, where he
was tortured. Though he returned home a hero, he was
filled with bitter rage towards his Japanese captor, known as
the Bird, and had turned to alcohol to drown his pain.
Here's Louise Zamporini.
Speaker 6 (11:37):
Billy Graham just having to quote to RFE scriptures, and
he said the right things that really stabbed me on
the heart, and I realized what I had to do.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
I'm The question in that day will be what did you.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
Do with Jasers?
Speaker 4 (11:51):
I've get trusted Brie Jesus to say it.
Speaker 6 (11:54):
It all hit me at one time before I got
to the main aisle, and there I made my decision.
I knew when I was trying to ride, I knew
it was all over, and it was. I got back
here at Chatford Krishtown. My life was completely changed, and
I didn't changed over SIPs.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
After what became an eight week long revival, nothing would
ever be the same for Billy Graham and his wife,
Ruth Graham. Here's Billy's son ned.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
There had never been a Billy Graham without a Ruth Graham.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
In nineteen forty, at nearly twenty two years of age,
Billy was six feet and two inches tall, weighed about
one hundred and sixty pounds, and spoke with a strong
Southern drawl. It was at this time where Billy met
Ruth Bell while continuing his studies at Wheaton College near Chicago.
The daughter of medical missionaries in China, she was known
(12:49):
for her deep and disciplined Christian faith and mischievous fun.
Here's Billy and his mother.
Speaker 4 (12:56):
I was working on a furniture truck in the afternoons
for fifty cents an hour. This man that ran the
furniture truck began to tell me about this girl from China.
He said, she's the girl for you. Well, I had
my eyes already on another girl, but when I came
out and saw her standing there, he said, that is
Ruth Bell. At that moment, I was in love, and
(13:17):
not only in love. Something told me inside she'll be
your wife.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Society.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
He was so impressed by her, he rode home and says,
that is the girl I'm going to marry.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
I was frightened to death there by asked her for
a date. But I finally worked up enough courage to
ask her to go at Christmas time to the Messiah.
And so I took her to the Messiah, and she
was everything that I had heard about her.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Here's Ruth.
Speaker 14 (13:48):
I remember when I was praying that night, and mind you,
I didn't even know the man. I'd just been with
him for that one date. But I just prayed and
I said, Lord, if you will let me share his life,
I will consider it the greatest honor possible. And fortunately
(14:08):
I didn't know what lay ahead. I wouldn't have had
the nerve to pray or prayer like that.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Here's Franklin and Neddie.
Speaker 5 (14:14):
My mother loved my father, and my father loved and
adored her, and it was a partnership.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
They were called together as a team. Mother was the
tether to Dad's balloon.
Speaker 5 (14:29):
Can'd you imagine saying goodbye to my father knowing that
he's going to be going not just for a week,
but for two months, four months, six months. I don't
know how she did it.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
A lot of times I would go down this driveway
here with tears in my eyes. I didn't want to
go because I needed to be several weeks or months
before I'd see her.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Here's daughter Gigi.
Speaker 15 (14:53):
There were times when she would go and take a
jacket out of his closet and sleep with it so
she could smell the smell. For a young woman, that's tough.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Ruth's commitment enabled Billy to remain faithful to God's call
as opportunities to reach people with the gospel grew beyond
anything they could have ever imagined, a journey that would
last almost six decades. Here's former news anchor Charles Gibson,
Franklin Graham and Billy's music and program director Cliff Barrows.
Speaker 16 (15:27):
There has always been a hunger for faith in this
country and for answers. He really brought that basic yearning
and belonging in people to the forefront.
Speaker 5 (15:41):
He had a burden and a call on his life
to take the gospel message to as many people as
they possibly could. He appreciate the more people face to
face than any other person in history.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
You never hear Jesus saying I think or perhaps this
is the why.
Speaker 12 (15:58):
Boy. He always said, this is the way, the truth
and the life.
Speaker 17 (16:05):
Bill said, I will go anywhere, at any time, at
any cost to preach the Gospel. God took him at
his word, and Bill took God at his word.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Not only was Billy Graham willing to go anywhere, he
was also willing to use every effective communication tool available.
On June first, nineteen fifty seven, Americans witnessed the first
live telecast of a Billy Graham crusade. Here's Kathy Lee, Gifford,
Tom Brokaw, and Brit Hume.
Speaker 4 (16:39):
No matter what your race, whatever color of the skin,
God loves you.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
He knew how valuable media was.
Speaker 18 (16:46):
He knew how important it was to get his crusades
on television then millions and millions exponentially people would see
it on them.
Speaker 19 (16:54):
Doc Braham had all the call.
Speaker 10 (16:56):
He's handsome as movie star.
Speaker 17 (16:58):
He spoken language everybody could undersand television was a perfect
medium for him.
Speaker 4 (17:03):
I'm asking you tonight to make a clan.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
He had to spark in his eyes that was visible.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
He kind of couldn't take your eyes off.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
And you're listening to the life story of Billy Graham,
and my goodness, what a story it is. Indeed a
burden and calling on his life. His son described taking
the Gospel to the world.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
He preached to.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
More people than anyone in world history. And that is
indeed why we're covering this story. There's never been one
like him. There may never be one like him. I'll
go anywhere, at any time, at any cost to spread
the Gospel, and my goodness, Billy Graham did just that.
When we come back, the great Billy Graham, his life
(17:45):
story continues here on our American Stories. And we continue
(18:09):
with the life story of Billy Graham here on our
American Stories. Let's pick up we last left off.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
No matter the audience or medium, Billy was always faithful
to the message. Here he is with Jack Parr, Johnny Carson,
Phil Donahue and Larry King.
Speaker 12 (18:28):
Are you criticized for coming on the show by the
more old about to say?
Speaker 20 (18:32):
What do you do?
Speaker 4 (18:32):
There are a few people that criticizement, but I always
tell them that Christ went among Republicans and centers, and
I can come with Jack Barr. The ten commandments can
be broken in your heart by thought and intent, and
that's the reason the Bible says that everybody is a center.
Even ed is a center. Comes as quite a surprise.
(18:55):
Jesus said, if you look on a woman the lust
after in your heart, you've already committed. Adult.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Really have trouble with that one.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
I'll tell you why. The Bible says all have sinned
and that's the reason we need the forgiveness of God.
And that's why Christ died on the cross.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Okay, I don't want to belavey you with it.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
You know you're really blushed.
Speaker 15 (19:16):
Daddy would accept to go on these secular programs because
he felt like this was just one more way that
the gospel of Jesus Christ could be preached.
Speaker 10 (19:25):
And whether he was on Larry King, Libel, Meet the Press,
or any show he did that was non religious in
any way. He never got off message. What is your purpose?
Speaker 4 (19:36):
He said, go into the whole world and proclaim this
message that God loves people, that he's interested in people,
he wants to help them in their present situation, and
he wants to save their souls.
Speaker 21 (19:48):
That's the reason it's so important.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
To know the word of God.
Speaker 16 (19:50):
You always knew with Graham that it was about the
message and not about the man.
Speaker 6 (19:57):
Many of you.
Speaker 12 (19:57):
Tonight desperately need.
Speaker 15 (19:59):
Jesus Christ.
Speaker 12 (20:00):
Who is this unique person that comes across the pages
of history. Bye, go from Genesis to Revelations points to Christ.
He was the son of God. He was the only
one in the universe that could bear all of our sins.
Speaker 4 (20:13):
The human heart's the same in the world over, and
the gospel is the same. It hasn't changed at all,
and people respond to it.
Speaker 12 (20:21):
I believe you are here by did buy an appointment.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
I believe this is your knight with Almighty God.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Here's NFL coach Tony Dungeye. I just loved it.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
He didn't try to overwhelm you with big words.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
It was so point blank.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
He knew exactly what he meant. I knowed in the
audience that Almost everybody there has experienced loneliness, They've experienced
sin that they're sorry for. And they are people there
that are afraid, and there are people there that are
hunger for something to believe in.
Speaker 12 (20:57):
Now and from the Cross, God is saying to the
whole world, I love you, I love you, I love you,
I love you, I love you.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Billy Graham fought against racism his whole life, and especially
during its peak in the nineteen sixties.
Speaker 12 (21:20):
Some people are predicting the possibility of a race war.
It's not a problem in Alabama, Loas it's a world
problem wherever you have through racism living.
Speaker 22 (21:33):
Here.
Speaker 4 (21:34):
Is there an answer, Yes.
Speaker 12 (21:36):
There is an answer. The answer is in the Cross
of Jesus Christ, and there is a possibility of spiritual
brotherhood in Christ the Low.
Speaker 21 (21:49):
I have some very sad news for all of you.
Speaker 16 (21:54):
Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight.
Speaker 4 (22:01):
Graham, I believe you've just been informed of the tragic
death of doctor Martin.
Speaker 21 (22:04):
Luther King, Jr.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Yes, and I was just informed about five minutes ago,
and it comes as one of the greatest shocks of
my entire life.
Speaker 12 (22:15):
There is no excuse ever by hatred. There is no
excuse ever for bigotry and intolerance and prejudice.
Speaker 21 (22:23):
We are to love.
Speaker 12 (22:24):
I've God loved us.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Here's Bernice King.
Speaker 18 (22:29):
I think both doctor Graham and my father were trying
to make the world a better place.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Here's Reverend Howard Jones.
Speaker 21 (22:37):
Billy and Martin wore friends, and a lot of whites
damned Billy for that.
Speaker 4 (22:43):
We demanded integration almost from the beginning of our meetings
in the South, and now today it's almost impossible for
the present generation to understand what things were in those
days and what it took to be that way. How
many threatening letters we got in, how many rights against
my family as a result of the stand that we
took at that time.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
Billy's public acts against racial segregation took place at his
crusades in the South during the early nineteen fifties.
Speaker 17 (23:13):
He walked into the crusade and they had ropes up.
Billy saw them.
Speaker 4 (23:18):
Blacks were supposed to sit back of that and the
whites would sit in front. I was appalled at it
and decided that I had to speak out on it
and had to do something about it. I said no
more of this, and I went to the head, Hush
and asked him if he would remove the ropes, and
he said no, he wouldn't.
Speaker 17 (23:39):
Billy got up from the platform and he walked down,
passed the ushers, and took the ropes down himself.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
And I remember that the head hush resigned, and there
was quite a little fleck about that.
Speaker 18 (23:54):
His approach was more of trying to get people into
the relationship with Christ, that that would transform their mindset
in the way in which they lived, so they will
see people differently and thus treat people differently.
Speaker 4 (24:15):
In New York, mister Billy Graham makes a dramatic denunciation.
There's something wrong with human nature.
Speaker 11 (24:22):
What is it in the nature of men that causes
men to have intolerance?
Speaker 4 (24:27):
And racial intolerance the problem of the world.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Tonight, here's President Bill Clinton.
Speaker 22 (24:37):
Almost fifty years ago, my Sunday school teacher took me
to Little Rock to hear Billy Graham's crusade. The schools
were closed because the Little Rock Central High School immigration crisis.
The White Citizens Council in Little Rock tried to convince
even to pressure Billy Graham and all of his people
(24:57):
to preach to a segregated audience. He told them that
they insisted on that he would cancel the crusade and
tell the whole world wine. And when he issued the
call at the end of this message, thousands came down
holding hands arm in arm crime. It was the beginning
(25:18):
of the end of the Old South in my home state.
Speaker 12 (25:24):
But the fruit of the Spirit is love. By this
shall old men know that you're My disciples, then that
you have love one to another. That is a supernatural
love given to you by God when you received Christ.
Christianity is not a white man's religion. And don't let
anybody ever tell you that it's quite a black quite.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Belongs to old people. He belongs to the whole world.
It gust fulest for everyone. Billy's love for people, regardless
of race, nationality, or worldview was tested when he made
a trip inside the Iron Curtain in nineteen eighty two.
Speaker 9 (26:08):
He was fearless, he was bold. He was always willing
to take a risk when it was for the right reason.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
Let us call the nations of the world to repentance.
Speaker 15 (26:16):
To be honest, I don't think the communist knew what.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
To do with Here's Billy's daughter, Ruth.
Speaker 14 (26:21):
He was criticized severely, even by evangelicals, But my father
knew that God had called him to this, God had
given him a burden for this, and he was not
going to be dissuaded.
Speaker 4 (26:31):
I looked on them as human beings in need of
the forgiveness of God and in need of a relationship
with Christ. And that's how I preached to them. That's
how I spoke to them, and that's how I witnessed
to them.
Speaker 5 (26:45):
You could see that there was a revolution that was
going to come because the people were wanting to be free,
free to worship God.
Speaker 9 (26:57):
The streets were just in line with people. But we're
standing on everything. They could stand on, rooftops everywhere. And
my uncle simply held up the Bible, just held up
the Bible.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
And you're listening to the story of Billy Graham and
the love of God facing down totalitarians. And when we
come back, more of this remarkable story here on our
American Stories, and we continue with our American Stories. We
(27:39):
just heard the story of Billy Graham's role in the
Cold War and in the segregated South. Here's Greg Hengler
with the final chapter of his story.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Here's President George H. W. Bush.
Speaker 7 (27:54):
The moral awakening that Billy helped to ignite, starting here
in America ignited hope and kept its embers burning in
far away places behind an iron curtain. No question, Billy Graham,
with other messengers who carried forth the word, kept the
balance in the Cold War.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
In Freedom's favorite.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
Mister Gorbaschoff teared down this wall. I don't care what
ideologies arise in the future. The ultimate winner is going
to be the Kingdom of God.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
And then there was September eleventh. Here's President George W.
Bush and Tom Broke call.
Speaker 11 (28:49):
I don't bring one to the nation that it was
in shock over unbelievable attacks.
Speaker 17 (28:58):
We got unmoored, as it were, as a god, we
don't know what to believe in anymore. I think people were.
Speaker 5 (29:03):
In search of something.
Speaker 16 (29:07):
I knew that we needed to help, you know, the
nation recover.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Here's Karl Rove and Pastor Rick Warren.
Speaker 23 (29:15):
The President wanted Reverend Graham to participate in the service
at the National Cathedral, and the big problem was that
there was no commercial air traffic. In fact, there were
no Seville aircraft allowed to fly. We worked with the
Defense Department in the FAA to get special permission to fly.
(29:38):
On the morning of the service, there was literally one
Seville aircraft above the nation, bringing Billy Graham to ortion.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
September eleventh, Well go down in our history. I was
a day to remember. No matter how hard we try,
words simply cannot express the horror, the shock, and the
revulsion we all feel over what took place in this
nation on Tuesday morning today, This is.
Speaker 16 (30:12):
Three days after a vicious attack.
Speaker 4 (30:16):
Just being in his presence, you know, gave you a
sense of calm, and the nation needed calm. We come
together today to affirm our conviction that God cares for us.
The Bible says that he's the God of all comfort,
who comforts us in our troubles.
Speaker 16 (30:36):
They sat there watching on television with millions of other people.
Speaker 5 (30:39):
Tears are streaming up a face.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
We see all around us.
Speaker 10 (30:45):
He was a voice of reason.
Speaker 16 (30:47):
The Cross, He was the pastoral voice to the entire nation.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
The Cross tells us that God understands our suffering, for
he took upon himself in the person of Jesus Christ,
our sins and our suffering. And from the Cross, if
God declares, I love you, the story does not end
(31:14):
with the Cross. For Christ. Let's conquered evil and death
and hell. Yes, there's hope.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
Over the years beginning with President Harry Truman and extending
through the presidency of George W. Bush, Graham served as
their pastor, preacher, chaplain, and counselor. Here's Brick Hume, Larry King,
and Charles Gibson.
Speaker 17 (31:40):
I think presidents reached out to him because they wanted
what he had heard him one time.
Speaker 10 (31:46):
I think his relationship was a comforter, a role of advisor.
Speaker 16 (31:52):
None of us were in on those one on one
sessions that he may have had with Bill Clinton when
he was in trouble, or with Lyndon John and when
he despaired over the war, or with George Bush when
he was about to send kids to war. While we
weren't in on those sessions, It's obvious that all of
those presidents said, very openly, I can take such comfort
(32:14):
from talking to Billy Graham.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Here's President George H. W. Bush.
Speaker 7 (32:20):
Billy Graham, the man, the preacher, the humble farmer's son
who helped change the world, is a spiritual gift to
all of us.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Here's the founder of Prison Fellowship, Chuck Colson.
Speaker 24 (32:38):
One of my favorite stories about Billy Graham is the
Memphis prison they set up almost like a stadium inside
the big prison yard, and brought in the people from
all the surrounding prisons. But when it was over, I
went up and said, Billy, whenever I preach in the prisons,
I always go into the segregation unit because those who
(32:59):
are in isolation can't come out. And all the aides
were trying to pull doctor Graham away from the crowds,
and he said, no, I want to follow Chuck. And
so we went into the segregation unit, walked through from
cell to sell and the only way we could talk
to them was through a little hole where you passed
food through in this cold, dank prison concrete floor. Billy
(33:24):
Graham sat there and spent about ten minutes leading that
man to Christ. He took wrong with with that man
on death row that day. Then he had taken almost
to speak.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Here again is Cliff Barrows.
Speaker 17 (33:37):
He would be visiting the battlefields and oftentimes the hospitals,
and I remember one time there was a soldier they'd
brought in. He was in a striker frame. He'd been
severely injured on the battlefield, and the only way Bill
could see him was to get down on his back
and slide under that hospital bed look at him and
(34:00):
as the fellow looked and saw mister Graham on his back,
and Billy looking at him and saying, God, bless you, buddy.
Speaker 4 (34:08):
Let me pray for you, the.
Speaker 17 (34:10):
Tears coming down, the soldiers' eyes falling on Bill.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Here's Billy Graham at a press conference for his final crucader.
Speaker 20 (34:25):
Oh my, I've been as so many times lately.
Speaker 4 (34:36):
Do I fear death?
Speaker 21 (34:40):
No, I'll look forward to death with great anticipation. I'm
looking forward to seeing God face to face, and that
can happen in a day.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
On February twenty fifth, twenty eighteen, at ninety nine years
of a age, America and the world received the news.
We have breaking news from North Carolina. The Reverend Billy
Graham has died. The world is mourning the laws. Here's
Billy Graham's children speaking at his funeral service.
Speaker 15 (35:18):
I believe from Heaven's perspective that my father's death is
as significant as his life, and his life was very
significant to you.
Speaker 5 (35:29):
My father was faithful, he was available, and he was teachable.
Speaker 21 (35:34):
May we all be that way.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
My father was not God, but he showed me what
God was like.
Speaker 15 (35:43):
He showed me unconditional love.
Speaker 5 (35:48):
He has often said that someday you'll read that Billy
Graham is dead. He said, don't you believe one word
of it. He said, I'll be more alive than I
am now. I'll have just changed addresses, that's all. And
I can only imagine what it was like for my
father to step into heaven and there was the Lord
(36:15):
Jesus Christ to say, well done, good and faithful servant.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
There was the throne of God.
Speaker 5 (36:24):
Can you just imagine that my mother, his mother, father,
friends clapping, cheering, bill's ringing, trumpet's blowing. Not because it
was Billy Graham. It's just another child of God had
come home, another child of God.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
We will leave with these final words from Billy Graham.
Speaker 19 (36:50):
We're all under the sentence of death. We're all going
to die. We all need to be ready to meet God.
Opened your heart to Jesus. Have you repented of your sins?
I'm going to ask you to do that today. This
is the moment tonight. I want Jesus in my heart.
Speaker 5 (37:22):
You don't have law.
Speaker 12 (37:23):
You'll be an eternity, and the decision you make tonight
may decide where you'll be.
Speaker 4 (37:31):
Do you know, Christ, are you ready?
Speaker 2 (37:40):
I'm Greg Hengler and this is our American Stories.
Speaker 12 (37:46):
I do not offer you a dead christ I offer
you a living seat.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
I offer you a living price. Here is alive at
this moment, alive.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
And great job as always to Greg Hangler, and a
very special thanks once again to the Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association for all that remarkable footage the life story of
Billy Graham. Here on our American Stories.
This is Lee Habib and this is our American Stories,
and we tell stories about everything here on this show,
from the arts to sports, and from business to history
and everything in between, including your story. Send them to
our American Stories dot com. There's some of our favorites.
Eleven presidents, the Pope, and dozens of world leaders have
shared their personal thoughts about matters of faith with him.
(00:33):
We would like to give a wholehearted thank you to
the folks at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for granting
us permission to use the footage you're about to hear
from their exceptional film, Billy Graham An Extraordinary Journey. Here's
Greg Hengler with the story of Billy Graham.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Billy Graham was born on a dairy farm in Charlotte,
North Carolinamber seventh, nineteen eighteen. As a boy, he spent
his time following baseball, reading Tarzan, and perfecting his techniques
swinging from vines in the nearby woods. Here's Billy's mother,
Marl Graham, his sister Jeane, his brother Melvin, and Billy himself.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Every afternoon as Billy came through the doll mother, those
were his first words, and I knew Billy was on
the premises. He read EVERYTT call and book, and then
he would go down in the woods and he would
try to act out. It didn't work too well.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
He and Melvin weren't on the dairy farm.
Speaker 5 (01:41):
Melvin loved the hard work.
Speaker 6 (01:44):
Billy Frank really didn't like to do physical work. Never did.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
My brother was interested primarily in two things. That would be.
Speaker 7 (01:54):
Baseball and girls.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
I'm not sure which order. So I was just a
champreate kid having a big time doing everything else that
every other high school kid was doing. I didn't care
anything about God or religion, or Hell or the devil
or anything else.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Billy was brought up in a devout Christian household, but
he had no interest in religious things. But when he
was fifteen, a friend informed him that some of the
high school students in Charlotte were going to pick it
the very popular traveling evangelist Mordecai Ham, declaring he has
no business telling us how to live our lives this
(02:33):
day and age. Billy went to see the standoff, but
when the students failed to show up, he decided to
go in and here for himself what this preacher had
to say. Here's Billy the voice of Mordecai Ham and
Billy's mother and brother.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
When Mordecai Ham came to Charlotte, I thought it was
some sort of big circle, saw a big emotional event,
and I didn't have any thoughts about ever going. I've
never seen some large crowd attending a religious meeting. I
think three or four thousand people, and it made a
great impression on me, and I decided I wanted to
go back the next night, and then the next and
then the next.
Speaker 8 (03:11):
You cannot be justified by your old fifty rash in
your own works. It's what Christ has done for you
and will do in you and.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
All other By that time, I was coming under conviction
that I was a sinner, that I needed redemption myself,
that I needed Christ in my heart. I was a
church member, but I still knew that something was lacking.
I knew that I didn't have that personal relationship with Christ.
One night, when the invitation was given, I just said, Lord,
(03:45):
I'm going. And it was on the last verse of
the last song that they sang in about four hundred
temple went follow the night I did, And when I
stood there, I thought to myself, what a fool I'm
making myself in front of.
Speaker 5 (03:56):
All my friends here.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
I went up to my room that night, didn't feel
any different. And I remember kneeling down as a full
moonlight night, and I never knelt before. I never prayed
like that before. And I said, Lord, I don't know
what's happened. I don't know what this means, but whatever
it means, I would appreciate your help.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
There was a definite turn in his life. We knew
then that the Lord had really gotten a whole.
Speaker 9 (04:29):
Lot of it.
Speaker 10 (04:30):
His emphasis became more on what the preacher had been
preaching in wanting to know where he could go and
learn something about the Bible.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
In nineteen thirty seven, Billy rolled in the Florida Bible Institute.
It was here where he experienced a calling he couldn't deny.
Speaker 4 (04:49):
I just felt God was speaking to me, and he
said I want to use you. And I put up
all the arguments I could that I was not capable
and didn't have the proper education. But God was calling
me and I knew that. So I got on my
knees right there and I said, Lord, I'll go where
(05:11):
you want me to go, and I'll be what you
want me to be and I said, I'm yours. My
first sermon in a sort of big church was the
first Baptist Church of Venice. I prinched all a Sunday morning,
and the church was filled not to hear me. They
(05:32):
know me from Adam. I gave an invitation at the
end of my talk for people to come forward, and
I'd never done that before, and eleven people came. I'll
never forget that, and I was so moved in my
own heart that I said, Lord, maybe you have given
(05:55):
me a gift that I didn't know that I can
give an invitation and people will come to And I
began to give invitations after that.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
In nineteen forty five, Billy joined the Youth for Christ
as a traveling evangelist, flying over one million miles during
the next four years. But he soon faced a dilemma
that threatened to derail his emerging ministry. Here's Billy's son,
Franklin Graham.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
There was this debate going on within his friends that
began to question scripture, and we're questioning why my father
believed in the Bible to be the wholly inspired word
of God.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
The arguments were that you couldn't really trust the scriptures,
and that only the old fashioned fundamentalists could trust the scriptures.
And I began to think, well, perhaps they're right, Maybe
this Bible isn't as authoritative as I thought it was.
And I remember how disturbed I was, But that because
(06:59):
I always believed in the Bible.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Billy Graham was at a crossroads. The summer of nineteen
forty nine would bring him to a watershed moment.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
And you've been listening to the life story of Billy Graham,
as important a person as there was in the twentieth century.
And I don't mean just a pastor. And when we
come back, we'll continue this remarkable story, Billy Graham's story
here on our American Stories. Here are to our American Stories.
(07:32):
We bring you inspiring stories of history, sports, business, faith,
and love. Stories from a great and beautiful country that
need to be told that we can't do it without you.
Our stories are free to listen to, but they're not
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like we do, please go to our American Stories dot
com and click the donate button. Give a little, give
(07:53):
a lot, help us keep the great American stories coming.
That's our American Stories dot Com. And we continue now
with the story of Billy Graham's life, and Greg Hangler
(08:14):
is always doing a great job on the piece. Let's
get back to Billy Graham.
Speaker 11 (08:20):
I remember many years ago I went through a terrible
struggle intellectually about the Bible. And I was concerned and
worried and battling with myself. And I remember going out
in the moonlight, out in the forest, and.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
I took this Bible.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
And I said, Lord, I don't understand all about this Bible.
There are many things I cannot explain. I remember laying
the Bible out on a stump and I said, Lord,
this is your book. I'm going to accept it by faith.
I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, and he
(08:58):
saved me and changed me and transform me. I'm accepting
this as your word by faith. I remember I used
to prepare my sermons by getting a little outline and
then tearing up a Bible and pasting them under those
different points. And I just kept quoting the scriptures and
saying the Bible says, and it had its own built
in power to go, and God honored it.
Speaker 12 (09:20):
The Bible says, I am the looved.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
I change up evidence of his new confidence presented itself
in Los Angeles. Here's Billy Graham's biographer, William Martin and
Nephew Mill.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
When we started in those meetings in the tent at
Washington and Hill Street, I had this tremendous experience in
which I had experienced the authority of the scriptures, and
I went there and quoted the scriptures.
Speaker 12 (09:47):
I believe this sincerely from the depth of my heart.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
The meetings began to gather a little momentum during those
first three weeks, and then.
Speaker 13 (09:56):
One night, in what is one of the pivotal events
in Graham's career, he showed up at the tent and
the place was overflowing with newspaper reports.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
I said, what has happened? Why are you all here?
And one of them said, You've just been kissed by
William Randolph Hurst.
Speaker 9 (10:12):
And he showed him a piece of paper that looked
like it had been torn off of a wire service
machine and there were two famous words on it.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
Puff Graham, you know, I never met mister Hurst. I
never had any correspondence with him in.
Speaker 10 (10:26):
My whole life.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
Whatever the reason, it certainly started a chain of events
that I never dreamed.
Speaker 13 (10:32):
And then that followed by Associated Press United Press International
News Service soon after its stories in Time Life, Newsweek,
and Billy Graham became nationally known. After that, the tent
was expanded, people standing outside, and a revival went on
another four weeks, which placed something of a burden on
(10:53):
Billy Graham.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
One night, at the encouragement of his wife and her
Christian friends, Louise Zamporini reluctantly joined the crowd. He gained
fame as an Olympic track star in nineteen thirty six,
and then, while on a search and rescue mission during
World War II, mechanical difficulties forced Samporini's plane to crash
into the ocean. After drifting at sea for forty seven days,
(11:20):
he was taken to a Japanese prison camp, where he
was tortured. Though he returned home a hero, he was
filled with bitter rage towards his Japanese captor, known as
the Bird, and had turned to alcohol to drown his pain.
Here's Louise Zamporini.
Speaker 6 (11:37):
Billy Graham just having to quote to RFE scriptures, and
he said the right things that really stabbed me on
the heart, and I realized what I had to do.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
I'm The question in that day will be what did you.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
Do with Jasers?
Speaker 4 (11:51):
I've get trusted Brie Jesus to say it.
Speaker 6 (11:54):
It all hit me at one time before I got
to the main aisle, and there I made my decision.
I knew when I was trying to ride, I knew
it was all over, and it was. I got back
here at Chatford Krishtown. My life was completely changed, and
I didn't changed over SIPs.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
After what became an eight week long revival, nothing would
ever be the same for Billy Graham and his wife,
Ruth Graham. Here's Billy's son ned.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
There had never been a Billy Graham without a Ruth Graham.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
In nineteen forty, at nearly twenty two years of age,
Billy was six feet and two inches tall, weighed about
one hundred and sixty pounds, and spoke with a strong
Southern drawl. It was at this time where Billy met
Ruth Bell while continuing his studies at Wheaton College near Chicago.
The daughter of medical missionaries in China, she was known
(12:49):
for her deep and disciplined Christian faith and mischievous fun.
Here's Billy and his mother.
Speaker 4 (12:56):
I was working on a furniture truck in the afternoons
for fifty cents an hour. This man that ran the
furniture truck began to tell me about this girl from China.
He said, she's the girl for you. Well, I had
my eyes already on another girl, but when I came
out and saw her standing there, he said, that is
Ruth Bell. At that moment, I was in love, and
(13:17):
not only in love. Something told me inside she'll be
your wife.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Society.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
He was so impressed by her, he rode home and says,
that is the girl I'm going to marry.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
I was frightened to death there by asked her for
a date. But I finally worked up enough courage to
ask her to go at Christmas time to the Messiah.
And so I took her to the Messiah, and she
was everything that I had heard about her.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Here's Ruth.
Speaker 14 (13:48):
I remember when I was praying that night, and mind you,
I didn't even know the man. I'd just been with
him for that one date. But I just prayed and
I said, Lord, if you will let me share his life,
I will consider it the greatest honor possible. And fortunately
(14:08):
I didn't know what lay ahead. I wouldn't have had
the nerve to pray or prayer like that.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Here's Franklin and Neddie.
Speaker 5 (14:14):
My mother loved my father, and my father loved and
adored her, and it was a partnership.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
They were called together as a team. Mother was the
tether to Dad's balloon.
Speaker 5 (14:29):
Can'd you imagine saying goodbye to my father knowing that
he's going to be going not just for a week,
but for two months, four months, six months. I don't
know how she did it.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
A lot of times I would go down this driveway
here with tears in my eyes. I didn't want to
go because I needed to be several weeks or months
before I'd see her.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Here's daughter Gigi.
Speaker 15 (14:53):
There were times when she would go and take a
jacket out of his closet and sleep with it so
she could smell the smell. For a young woman, that's tough.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Ruth's commitment enabled Billy to remain faithful to God's call
as opportunities to reach people with the gospel grew beyond
anything they could have ever imagined, a journey that would
last almost six decades. Here's former news anchor Charles Gibson,
Franklin Graham and Billy's music and program director Cliff Barrows.
Speaker 16 (15:27):
There has always been a hunger for faith in this
country and for answers. He really brought that basic yearning
and belonging in people to the forefront.
Speaker 5 (15:41):
He had a burden and a call on his life
to take the gospel message to as many people as
they possibly could. He appreciate the more people face to
face than any other person in history.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
You never hear Jesus saying I think or perhaps this
is the why.
Speaker 12 (15:58):
Boy. He always said, this is the way, the truth
and the life.
Speaker 17 (16:05):
Bill said, I will go anywhere, at any time, at
any cost to preach the Gospel. God took him at
his word, and Bill took God at his word.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Not only was Billy Graham willing to go anywhere, he
was also willing to use every effective communication tool available.
On June first, nineteen fifty seven, Americans witnessed the first
live telecast of a Billy Graham crusade. Here's Kathy Lee, Gifford,
Tom Brokaw, and Brit Hume.
Speaker 4 (16:39):
No matter what your race, whatever color of the skin,
God loves you.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
He knew how valuable media was.
Speaker 18 (16:46):
He knew how important it was to get his crusades
on television then millions and millions exponentially people would see
it on them.
Speaker 19 (16:54):
Doc Braham had all the call.
Speaker 10 (16:56):
He's handsome as movie star.
Speaker 17 (16:58):
He spoken language everybody could undersand television was a perfect
medium for him.
Speaker 4 (17:03):
I'm asking you tonight to make a clan.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
He had to spark in his eyes that was visible.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
He kind of couldn't take your eyes off.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
And you're listening to the life story of Billy Graham,
and my goodness, what a story it is. Indeed a
burden and calling on his life. His son described taking
the Gospel to the world.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
He preached to.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
More people than anyone in world history. And that is
indeed why we're covering this story. There's never been one
like him. There may never be one like him. I'll
go anywhere, at any time, at any cost to spread
the Gospel, and my goodness, Billy Graham did just that.
When we come back, the great Billy Graham, his life
(17:45):
story continues here on our American Stories. And we continue
(18:09):
with the life story of Billy Graham here on our
American Stories. Let's pick up we last left off.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
No matter the audience or medium, Billy was always faithful
to the message. Here he is with Jack Parr, Johnny Carson,
Phil Donahue and Larry King.
Speaker 12 (18:28):
Are you criticized for coming on the show by the
more old about to say?
Speaker 20 (18:32):
What do you do?
Speaker 4 (18:32):
There are a few people that criticizement, but I always
tell them that Christ went among Republicans and centers, and
I can come with Jack Barr. The ten commandments can
be broken in your heart by thought and intent, and
that's the reason the Bible says that everybody is a center.
Even ed is a center. Comes as quite a surprise.
(18:55):
Jesus said, if you look on a woman the lust
after in your heart, you've already committed. Adult.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Really have trouble with that one.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
I'll tell you why. The Bible says all have sinned
and that's the reason we need the forgiveness of God.
And that's why Christ died on the cross.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Okay, I don't want to belavey you with it.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
You know you're really blushed.
Speaker 15 (19:16):
Daddy would accept to go on these secular programs because
he felt like this was just one more way that
the gospel of Jesus Christ could be preached.
Speaker 10 (19:25):
And whether he was on Larry King, Libel, Meet the Press,
or any show he did that was non religious in
any way. He never got off message. What is your purpose?
Speaker 4 (19:36):
He said, go into the whole world and proclaim this
message that God loves people, that he's interested in people,
he wants to help them in their present situation, and
he wants to save their souls.
Speaker 21 (19:48):
That's the reason it's so important.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
To know the word of God.
Speaker 16 (19:50):
You always knew with Graham that it was about the
message and not about the man.
Speaker 6 (19:57):
Many of you.
Speaker 12 (19:57):
Tonight desperately need.
Speaker 15 (19:59):
Jesus Christ.
Speaker 12 (20:00):
Who is this unique person that comes across the pages
of history. Bye, go from Genesis to Revelations points to Christ.
He was the son of God. He was the only
one in the universe that could bear all of our sins.
Speaker 4 (20:13):
The human heart's the same in the world over, and
the gospel is the same. It hasn't changed at all,
and people respond to it.
Speaker 12 (20:21):
I believe you are here by did buy an appointment.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
I believe this is your knight with Almighty God.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Here's NFL coach Tony Dungeye. I just loved it.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
He didn't try to overwhelm you with big words.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
It was so point blank.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
He knew exactly what he meant. I knowed in the
audience that Almost everybody there has experienced loneliness, They've experienced
sin that they're sorry for. And they are people there
that are afraid, and there are people there that are
hunger for something to believe in.
Speaker 12 (20:57):
Now and from the Cross, God is saying to the
whole world, I love you, I love you, I love you,
I love you, I love you.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Billy Graham fought against racism his whole life, and especially
during its peak in the nineteen sixties.
Speaker 12 (21:20):
Some people are predicting the possibility of a race war.
It's not a problem in Alabama, Loas it's a world
problem wherever you have through racism living.
Speaker 22 (21:33):
Here.
Speaker 4 (21:34):
Is there an answer, Yes.
Speaker 12 (21:36):
There is an answer. The answer is in the Cross
of Jesus Christ, and there is a possibility of spiritual
brotherhood in Christ the Low.
Speaker 21 (21:49):
I have some very sad news for all of you.
Speaker 16 (21:54):
Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight.
Speaker 4 (22:01):
Graham, I believe you've just been informed of the tragic
death of doctor Martin.
Speaker 21 (22:04):
Luther King, Jr.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Yes, and I was just informed about five minutes ago,
and it comes as one of the greatest shocks of
my entire life.
Speaker 12 (22:15):
There is no excuse ever by hatred. There is no
excuse ever for bigotry and intolerance and prejudice.
Speaker 21 (22:23):
We are to love.
Speaker 12 (22:24):
I've God loved us.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Here's Bernice King.
Speaker 18 (22:29):
I think both doctor Graham and my father were trying
to make the world a better place.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Here's Reverend Howard Jones.
Speaker 21 (22:37):
Billy and Martin wore friends, and a lot of whites
damned Billy for that.
Speaker 4 (22:43):
We demanded integration almost from the beginning of our meetings
in the South, and now today it's almost impossible for
the present generation to understand what things were in those
days and what it took to be that way. How
many threatening letters we got in, how many rights against
my family as a result of the stand that we
took at that time.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
Billy's public acts against racial segregation took place at his
crusades in the South during the early nineteen fifties.
Speaker 17 (23:13):
He walked into the crusade and they had ropes up.
Billy saw them.
Speaker 4 (23:18):
Blacks were supposed to sit back of that and the
whites would sit in front. I was appalled at it
and decided that I had to speak out on it
and had to do something about it. I said no
more of this, and I went to the head, Hush
and asked him if he would remove the ropes, and
he said no, he wouldn't.
Speaker 17 (23:39):
Billy got up from the platform and he walked down,
passed the ushers, and took the ropes down himself.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
And I remember that the head hush resigned, and there
was quite a little fleck about that.
Speaker 18 (23:54):
His approach was more of trying to get people into
the relationship with Christ, that that would transform their mindset
in the way in which they lived, so they will
see people differently and thus treat people differently.
Speaker 4 (24:15):
In New York, mister Billy Graham makes a dramatic denunciation.
There's something wrong with human nature.
Speaker 11 (24:22):
What is it in the nature of men that causes
men to have intolerance?
Speaker 4 (24:27):
And racial intolerance the problem of the world.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Tonight, here's President Bill Clinton.
Speaker 22 (24:37):
Almost fifty years ago, my Sunday school teacher took me
to Little Rock to hear Billy Graham's crusade. The schools
were closed because the Little Rock Central High School immigration crisis.
The White Citizens Council in Little Rock tried to convince
even to pressure Billy Graham and all of his people
(24:57):
to preach to a segregated audience. He told them that
they insisted on that he would cancel the crusade and
tell the whole world wine. And when he issued the
call at the end of this message, thousands came down
holding hands arm in arm crime. It was the beginning
(25:18):
of the end of the Old South in my home state.
Speaker 12 (25:24):
But the fruit of the Spirit is love. By this
shall old men know that you're My disciples, then that
you have love one to another. That is a supernatural
love given to you by God when you received Christ.
Christianity is not a white man's religion. And don't let
anybody ever tell you that it's quite a black quite.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Belongs to old people. He belongs to the whole world.
It gust fulest for everyone. Billy's love for people, regardless
of race, nationality, or worldview was tested when he made
a trip inside the Iron Curtain in nineteen eighty two.
Speaker 9 (26:08):
He was fearless, he was bold. He was always willing
to take a risk when it was for the right reason.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
Let us call the nations of the world to repentance.
Speaker 15 (26:16):
To be honest, I don't think the communist knew what.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
To do with Here's Billy's daughter, Ruth.
Speaker 14 (26:21):
He was criticized severely, even by evangelicals, But my father
knew that God had called him to this, God had
given him a burden for this, and he was not
going to be dissuaded.
Speaker 4 (26:31):
I looked on them as human beings in need of
the forgiveness of God and in need of a relationship
with Christ. And that's how I preached to them. That's
how I spoke to them, and that's how I witnessed
to them.
Speaker 5 (26:45):
You could see that there was a revolution that was
going to come because the people were wanting to be free,
free to worship God.
Speaker 9 (26:57):
The streets were just in line with people. But we're
standing on everything. They could stand on, rooftops everywhere. And
my uncle simply held up the Bible, just held up
the Bible.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
And you're listening to the story of Billy Graham and
the love of God facing down totalitarians. And when we
come back, more of this remarkable story here on our
American Stories, and we continue with our American Stories. We
(27:39):
just heard the story of Billy Graham's role in the
Cold War and in the segregated South. Here's Greg Hengler
with the final chapter of his story.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Here's President George H. W. Bush.
Speaker 7 (27:54):
The moral awakening that Billy helped to ignite, starting here
in America ignited hope and kept its embers burning in
far away places behind an iron curtain. No question, Billy Graham,
with other messengers who carried forth the word, kept the
balance in the Cold War.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
In Freedom's favorite.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
Mister Gorbaschoff teared down this wall. I don't care what
ideologies arise in the future. The ultimate winner is going
to be the Kingdom of God.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
And then there was September eleventh. Here's President George W.
Bush and Tom Broke call.
Speaker 11 (28:49):
I don't bring one to the nation that it was
in shock over unbelievable attacks.
Speaker 17 (28:58):
We got unmoored, as it were, as a god, we
don't know what to believe in anymore. I think people were.
Speaker 5 (29:03):
In search of something.
Speaker 16 (29:07):
I knew that we needed to help, you know, the
nation recover.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Here's Karl Rove and Pastor Rick Warren.
Speaker 23 (29:15):
The President wanted Reverend Graham to participate in the service
at the National Cathedral, and the big problem was that
there was no commercial air traffic. In fact, there were
no Seville aircraft allowed to fly. We worked with the
Defense Department in the FAA to get special permission to fly.
(29:38):
On the morning of the service, there was literally one
Seville aircraft above the nation, bringing Billy Graham to ortion.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
September eleventh, Well go down in our history. I was
a day to remember. No matter how hard we try,
words simply cannot express the horror, the shock, and the
revulsion we all feel over what took place in this
nation on Tuesday morning today, This is.
Speaker 16 (30:12):
Three days after a vicious attack.
Speaker 4 (30:16):
Just being in his presence, you know, gave you a
sense of calm, and the nation needed calm. We come
together today to affirm our conviction that God cares for us.
The Bible says that he's the God of all comfort,
who comforts us in our troubles.
Speaker 16 (30:36):
They sat there watching on television with millions of other people.
Speaker 5 (30:39):
Tears are streaming up a face.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
We see all around us.
Speaker 10 (30:45):
He was a voice of reason.
Speaker 16 (30:47):
The Cross, He was the pastoral voice to the entire nation.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
The Cross tells us that God understands our suffering, for
he took upon himself in the person of Jesus Christ,
our sins and our suffering. And from the Cross, if
God declares, I love you, the story does not end
(31:14):
with the Cross. For Christ. Let's conquered evil and death
and hell. Yes, there's hope.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
Over the years beginning with President Harry Truman and extending
through the presidency of George W. Bush, Graham served as
their pastor, preacher, chaplain, and counselor. Here's Brick Hume, Larry King,
and Charles Gibson.
Speaker 17 (31:40):
I think presidents reached out to him because they wanted
what he had heard him one time.
Speaker 10 (31:46):
I think his relationship was a comforter, a role of advisor.
Speaker 16 (31:52):
None of us were in on those one on one
sessions that he may have had with Bill Clinton when
he was in trouble, or with Lyndon John and when
he despaired over the war, or with George Bush when
he was about to send kids to war. While we
weren't in on those sessions, It's obvious that all of
those presidents said, very openly, I can take such comfort
(32:14):
from talking to Billy Graham.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Here's President George H. W. Bush.
Speaker 7 (32:20):
Billy Graham, the man, the preacher, the humble farmer's son
who helped change the world, is a spiritual gift to
all of us.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Here's the founder of Prison Fellowship, Chuck Colson.
Speaker 24 (32:38):
One of my favorite stories about Billy Graham is the
Memphis prison they set up almost like a stadium inside
the big prison yard, and brought in the people from
all the surrounding prisons. But when it was over, I
went up and said, Billy, whenever I preach in the prisons,
I always go into the segregation unit because those who
(32:59):
are in isolation can't come out. And all the aides
were trying to pull doctor Graham away from the crowds,
and he said, no, I want to follow Chuck. And
so we went into the segregation unit, walked through from
cell to sell and the only way we could talk
to them was through a little hole where you passed
food through in this cold, dank prison concrete floor. Billy
(33:24):
Graham sat there and spent about ten minutes leading that
man to Christ. He took wrong with with that man
on death row that day. Then he had taken almost
to speak.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Here again is Cliff Barrows.
Speaker 17 (33:37):
He would be visiting the battlefields and oftentimes the hospitals,
and I remember one time there was a soldier they'd
brought in. He was in a striker frame. He'd been
severely injured on the battlefield, and the only way Bill
could see him was to get down on his back
and slide under that hospital bed look at him and
(34:00):
as the fellow looked and saw mister Graham on his back,
and Billy looking at him and saying, God, bless you, buddy.
Speaker 4 (34:08):
Let me pray for you, the.
Speaker 17 (34:10):
Tears coming down, the soldiers' eyes falling on Bill.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Here's Billy Graham at a press conference for his final crucader.
Speaker 20 (34:25):
Oh my, I've been as so many times lately.
Speaker 4 (34:36):
Do I fear death?
Speaker 21 (34:40):
No, I'll look forward to death with great anticipation. I'm
looking forward to seeing God face to face, and that
can happen in a day.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
On February twenty fifth, twenty eighteen, at ninety nine years
of a age, America and the world received the news.
We have breaking news from North Carolina. The Reverend Billy
Graham has died. The world is mourning the laws. Here's
Billy Graham's children speaking at his funeral service.
Speaker 15 (35:18):
I believe from Heaven's perspective that my father's death is
as significant as his life, and his life was very
significant to you.
Speaker 5 (35:29):
My father was faithful, he was available, and he was teachable.
Speaker 21 (35:34):
May we all be that way.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
My father was not God, but he showed me what
God was like.
Speaker 15 (35:43):
He showed me unconditional love.
Speaker 5 (35:48):
He has often said that someday you'll read that Billy
Graham is dead. He said, don't you believe one word
of it. He said, I'll be more alive than I
am now. I'll have just changed addresses, that's all. And
I can only imagine what it was like for my
father to step into heaven and there was the Lord
(36:15):
Jesus Christ to say, well done, good and faithful servant.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
There was the throne of God.
Speaker 5 (36:24):
Can you just imagine that my mother, his mother, father,
friends clapping, cheering, bill's ringing, trumpet's blowing. Not because it
was Billy Graham. It's just another child of God had
come home, another child of God.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
We will leave with these final words from Billy Graham.
Speaker 19 (36:50):
We're all under the sentence of death. We're all going
to die. We all need to be ready to meet God.
Opened your heart to Jesus. Have you repented of your sins?
I'm going to ask you to do that today. This
is the moment tonight. I want Jesus in my heart.
Speaker 5 (37:22):
You don't have law.
Speaker 12 (37:23):
You'll be an eternity, and the decision you make tonight
may decide where you'll be.
Speaker 4 (37:31):
Do you know, Christ, are you ready?
Speaker 2 (37:40):
I'm Greg Hengler and this is our American Stories.
Speaker 12 (37:46):
I do not offer you a dead christ I offer
you a living seat.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
I offer you a living price. Here is alive at
this moment, alive.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
And great job as always to Greg Hangler, and a
very special thanks once again to the Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association for all that remarkable footage the life story of
Billy Graham. Here on our American Stories.
Host
Lee Habeeb
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