Family Legacy: Hope and Healing
“We take those storms of life, and we try to let people know that God loves them.”
Rev. Franklin Graham sat down to share his thoughts with Newsmax this Easter, ranging from the Gospel message of Jesus Christ to memories of his father, the war in Israel, and the looming dangers of artificial intelligence.
Newsmax: Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) have enjoyed incredible growth over the years. Did you ever imagine the impact you’re hav- ing today? Rev. Franklin Gra- ham: I’ve had some incredible, incredible people who’ve helped me over the years, many of whom are still with me today. Where all of this is today, it isn’t because of Franklin Graham. It’s thanks to a team of people working together.
How does helping people in dire straits help change their lives? One of the things we
focus on is when we respond, we respond in Jesus’ name. We’re not there in the name of humanitarianism. We’re not responding in the name of do-good- ism. We’re responding in the name of Jesus Christ.
56 NEWSMAX | MARCH 2024
You said every person you’ve ever helped al- ways asked, “Why? Why did you come? Why did you come help me?” We want people to
know that God loves them. When people have gone through a storm, they often think God may be mad at them. I want them to know that we all have storms. Jesus himself had
that storm out on the Sea of Galilee when the waves were breaking over his boat and it was about to sink. Jesus un- derstood what it is like to go through that kind of storm in life. So we take those storms of life, and we try to let people know that God is not mad at them. He loves them, he
cares for them, and Jesus Christ can make a difference in your life starting today if you’ll trust him.
How did you first get involved with Samari- tan’s Purse?
When I started with
[Baptist pastor and Sa- maritan’s Purse founder] Bob Pierce, I was just a student here at Appala- chian State University. I traveled with him; he had leukemia, so I helped him carry his bags. I learned quite a bit from Bob. What I appreciated
about Bob was that he would always go and look and see. He didn’t just take a phone call or letter — he had [to] actu- ally go out there and see it for himself. That’s one of the things I learned early on: You just have to see it for yourself. I was in Israel back
in November, about three or four weeks after the massacre. We had people say, “Franklin, why do you go?” I have to see for
myself. I have to talk to the victims. I have to talk to the people that we’re helping. It doesn’t have the same impact unless you smell where those
dead bodies lay. Some of those bodies
were on the ground for six or seven days before they could pick them up. And, so as you go through these kibbutzes, you could still smell the death. If you don’t have those kinds of experienc- es, it’s hard to respond effectively unless you feel it. And by going to see it yourself, you feel it. You always do.
What’s been the key to success for BGEA and Samaritan’s Purse over the years? Some people thought
when my father died — by then I’d already taken the leadership of the Billy Graham As- sociation — that I would change things. Some said, “Franklin,
what changes are you going to make now to the Billy Graham Evan- gelistic Association?” I said, “I’m not going to make any!” And they were kind of shocked. “You’re not going to change anything?” I said, “No. Our mis-
sion hasn’t changed, our focus hasn’t changed.” Preaching the Gospel is still as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago. Why would we change?
BILLYGRAHAM.ORG
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