Good News Florida

PERSPECTIVE GoodNewsFL.org 7 MARCH 2018 GN - People say when one person leaves that position of basically being God’s ambassador, we’re looking at who is God going to raise up next? Do you feel like, is there a pressure within the family about is someone going to rise up and replace that? Is that role being filled? Is there a thought about that? ST - That’s a great question and I would answer that in two ways. On a practical level with the specific as it relates to the Billy Graham organization itself, my Uncle Franklin who runs Samaritan’s Purse, is also the head of the Billy GrahamAsso- ciation and has been for the past 15 years. And so even though my grandfather has been that legacy founder, from a day to day active role of running the organ- ization, my uncle has done that. Now he’s obviously sought my grandfather’s ad- vice and counsel and input, but Franklin has been acting as the lead. And then they have Franklin’s oldest son, my cousin Will; Will Graham works with the or- ganization and has been doing some meetings on his own and those kinds of things. So time will tell if he’s really that person to be groomed to, in a sense, run the organization. Obviously those are decisions they’ll be making, the board will be making, those kinds of things as to what’s the future of the Billy Graham or- ganization. And they also play a large role in training. So they train global pastors and preachers on a regular basis, which really leads to my second point. If you ever asked Billy Graham, “Who’s the next Billy Graham?” He would say, “You are.” In other words, it’s not always about a single individual. This is a unique time in history, and there was a very unique situation, but he would say that each one, the local pastors the missionaries, the businessman, the business woman, the housewife, the teacher, the first responder, that those men and women that love Christ. In essence you have the same call on your life in whatever field you’ve been called as I have in the field that I’ve been called. And I’ve always loved that answer because it really creates a sense of ownership. In other words, I’m no longer a spectator just watching this amazing creature, even though there’s ele- ments of that. I know for me I will never be what he was or is, but I have a role and responsibility in the platform God has given me, and so do you. So I just think there’s a wonderful application in that whole process. GN - What’s going to happen to the property? What is it The Cove at the top of the mountain so to speak? The home? ST - So there’s a private home that he lives in. I don’t know yet exactly what will happen to that. My guess is it will remain in the family and they’ll probably have to figure out what they’re going to do with it. If it’s something they can use and enjoy for holidays or something, or will it somehow be turned into some sort of museum or something? I don’t know. And then about 15 minutes away is The Cove. The Cove is an active retreat conference center that is functioning and will continue to function as part of the organization, and then their corporate offices are down in Charlotte, North Carolina, and again that will continue to function as it has as far as I’m concerned. But his personal, he only owned one home. It’s not like he had all these tremendous assets all over the place. My guess is that will remain, for now, in the family. GN - Do you ever recall a time when he sat down with you and gave you a nugget of advice that you hold onto in specific? ST - It came more in drips. There was never this moment where he said, “Ok I have to have a real serious conversation with you and here are the four secrets to life.” It wasn’t that. It was more here are the little drips, here, here, and here. In other words, I remember having lunch with him and asking him questions about certain things, about the Bible or maybe about something I didn’t understand, and he would give me an answer. I think the most profound answer he’s ever given me on some of the more complex questions I would ask him was, “I don’t know,” which I really loved because it said to me, “You can live a life of faith and live as a follower of Christ and not have to figure it all out.” It’s so freeing because most of us get freaked out because we don’t have answers for everything. So for him to go, “I don’t know.” OK, if you don’t know, I guess it’s ok not to know. And the one-on-one little conversations, it was really more observing life, observing him do life versus some profound statement. And then we often overlook my grand- mother, who was really the rock in his life. And I have specific memories of her, but again, it wasn’t really just sitting down and saying, “Son ,I want you to know these things,” but it was more listening to her, watching her, asking her questions and it becomes a mosaic of one’s life. This portfolio of behavior and lifestyle and comment that adds up to this beautiful mosaic. GN - Close your eyes, think of your grandfather. What do you see? ST - I see a gracious, gentle, strong, courageous, determined, lover of Jesus with white hair. GN - This has been some week. (The 17 murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School) Do you draw any connection or thoughts on that. ST - It has been some week. I think the interesting thing is we see the epitome of brokenness and then we see the sense of hope. The best and the worst. You sort of saw both extremes. My grandfather has always preached that we are lost un- less we have a faith in Christ and that God loves us. I remember one time Billy Graham was asked, “If we did a billboard, what would be one thing we should put on the billboard?” And I remember him saying to them, “All I would say is I love you. I love you. I love you - God.” So one of their billboards is, “I love you. I love you. I love you – God” and that’s a direct quote from Billy Graham. That’s such a simple message. It doesn’t get into the racial issues. It doesn’t get into the trans- gender issues. It doesn’t. He just says, “God loves you. He loves you. He loves you.” And sort of repeat. And what I find so interesting is that what we saw the week before was not just a simple manifestation of evil, but across the board we saw brokenness. The shooter, completely broken person, the lives broken as a result of his evil behavior, the system breaking down, you know, vicious venomous words thrown around, a sense of hopelessness, a sense of despair, a sense of evil, a sense of what’s happened to our country, and I really actually believe that what my grandfather preached his entire life and lived his entire life is the antidote. In other words, if we would truly understand that we all… the Bible says we’ve all fallen short of the glory of God, that we need Christ. And then because I have Christ in me, it changes the way I live my life. There’s no special check the box. It’s just my life is different, and so I just sort of think it’s such an interesting picture of the evil, the sickness, the toxicity with the antidote. And I find it fascinating. GN - Is there anything else you want to share with us? ST - No, we appreciate what you’re doing. My grandfather’s life was all about the Good News, so we appreciate what you guys are doing. Lisa and Stephan Tchividjian with Ruth and Billy Graham at Puerto Rico Crusade