Billy Graham (1918-2018) passed away on Wednesday, February 21 at the age of 99. He was arguably one of the most influential Christian leaders in the last hundred years.
During his lifetime, Graham preached to over 215 million people in more than 185 countries, met with every US president from Harry Truman to Barak Obama, he was the recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal (1996), he won the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation Freedom Award (2000) for his contributions to the cause of freedom, and was listed by Gallup as one of the “Ten Most Admired Men in the World” more than 50 times.
As many accolades as Graham received during his lifetime, by far the most precious must have been the one he received earlier this week when he heard the words of the Lord,
‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:23, NIV)
As a young boy, Graham made a commitment to serve God and his zeal for God never ran out. His message was clear and powerful: Christ died to set us free and the only way to God is through the humble act of repentance. Graham put it best when he said:
“The Bible commands it, our wickedness demands it, justice requires it, Christ preached it and God expects it. The divine, unalterable edict is still valid: ‘God commands all men everywhere to repent.’”
Graham’s life is an inspiring legacy of faith, hope, and love.
Imago Dei Sports 