Billy Graham's Long Shadow

When a friend recently told me that Woody Allen once interviewed Billy Graham, I thought he was joking. It seemed comparable to Groucho Marx interviewing Cornelius Van Til.

But here it is on YouTube. Billy actually does a great job turning Woody's irreverent jabs into gospel opportunities, and often topping the great comedian with fast and funny come-backs.





I do not know exactly when this interview took place, but my guess is the mid to late 1960s.

For the fun and sheer wonder of it, here is Billy Graham in 1949..



...and 1957...



...and 1971...



After sitting under the sound, Reformed, Evangelical ministry of Dr. Glyn Own at Knox Presbyterian Church in Toronto for 16 months, I came to saving knowledge of God after Billy Graham preached a New years Eve service at the IVCF 1984 Urbana Mission Conference.

We had been blessed for several days with the expository teaching of Rev. Eric Alexander from Glasgow. Through that I came to under stand the connection between the cross and my sin, between Christ's death and my life. That is the heart of the gospel.

Billy Graham closed our several days together--19,000 young people gathered at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champagne--with a New Year's Eve worship service. During that time, he told us to bow our heads and close out eyes. He asked us, If God were to call you to the mission field, would you go?" Anyone who would was to stand up. My friends, one on each side of me, stood up. They were missionary kids themselves. I did not stand because I had no desire to go off to the far reaches of the world, even despite what I had learned that week about the centrality of missionary work in the life of the church.

After the service, we went directly to out buses to take us wherever on the continent we were going. In the darkness of that bus on my way back to Toronto, I thought about what I had done--or rather not done--that night. By the grace of God I confronted myself, asking, "David! The Lord has given his Son to die for the payment of your sins, and if he tells you to go to Nepal or Brazil you're going to refuse him? You're going to withhold from the One who did not withhold his only Son, his beloved Son for you?" It made no sense at all. So I committed my self to serve him in any way he would direct me to serve him. I count my conversion from that point. I had received Christ as both Lord and Savior (his inseparable offices).

There are things with which I have disagreed in Billy Graham's ministry. The altar call is one of them. But that night--December 31, 1984--God used Billy Graham to bring me into his kingdom, perfecting the labors of others before him. I thank the Lord for Billy Graham.