Ramblings-n-Writings

Archive for December 14th, 2008

To much of the world, Billy Graham is a name synonymous with Christianity and evangelism. In Billy, a biography by William Paul McKay & Ken Abraham (2008, Thomas Nelson), readers receive a glimpse of Billy Graham’s life through the eyes of his best friend, Charles Templeton.

The story is built around an interview that reporter Deborah Matthews conducted with Charles Templeton in 2001, just months before Templeton died. Matthews wanted to find the “dirt” on Billy Graham so she went to the one source that she thought could help her – Templeton.

Back in the early 1940s, Templeton was a spiritual powerhouse preaching to crowds upwards of 20,000 people. In an effort to reach soldiers returning from World War II, both Templeton and Graham, a young upstart, agreed to preach at a Chicago event.

Through that meeting in Chicago, Templeton and Graham became best of friends. They traveled together throughout the United States and Europe preaching to thousands in the name of Christ.

However, Templeton began to doubt – have a crisis of faith. He expressed his questions to Graham, who privately uttered the same questions. Within a matter of months, Templeton’s crisis led to a separation of the two friends.

The seeds of doubt that Templeton planted in Graham’s mind led Graham down a sorrowful path where he doubted himself, his call to preach, and, in a sense, his God. While Templeton’s crisis led him to academia, Graham sought answers while on his knees pleading with God.

While much of the book is told in an engaging story format, I struggled reading through the battle between Graham and his faith. The 8 pages that detailed the spiritual warfare going on in heaven over Graham, his faith and his career, seemed out of place and lengthy. In the end, as we know from history, Graham realizes that God and the Bible could only be accepted by faith.

Within weeks of Graham overcoming his “crisis,” he held a series of meetings in Los Angeles. It was there that Graham’s career as many of us know it took off, thanks to William Randolph Hearst, the media tycoon of the day.

Told in an engaging story format, Billy is a wonderfully written biography. Much of the story is filled with action as well as insight into Graham’s life and his relationships. Personally, I found the book hard to put down once I started.

Here’s a list of “what I’ve done… so far.” This one comes from Angela Hunt.

Directions: Put an asterisk next to the things you have done in your life, and then feel free to pass it on in your blog! Feel free to add a couple at the end, if you like. Also leave a comment letting me know so I can see your list!

*1. Started your own blog
*2. Slept under the stars
*3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
*5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
*7. Been to Disneyworld
*8. Climbed a mountain
*9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
*12. Visited Paris
*13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
*14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
*16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
*18. Grown your own vegetables
*19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
*20. Slept on an overnight train
*21. Had a pillow fight
*22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
*24. Built a snow fort
*25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
*29. Seen a total eclipse
*30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
*33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
*34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
*35. Seen an Amish community
*36. Taught yourself a new language
*37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
*40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
*45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
*50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
*52. Kissed in the rain
*53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
*57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
*63. Got flowers for no reason
*64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
*65. Gone sky diving – well, we didn’t jump out of an airplane, but we did jump off a very high mountain in New Zealand.
*66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
*67. Bounced a check
*68. Flown in a helicopter – more than once!
*69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
*70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
*73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired/laid off from a job
*76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
*82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
*84. Had your picture in the newspaper
*85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
*87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating – well, hubby does the killing part
*88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
*91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
*93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
*97. Been involved in a law suit
*98. Owned a cell phone
*99. Been stung by a bee
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
*101. Learned to play an instrument