I once heard Larry King talk about the fact that there are probably only 3 or 4 people alive today that have literally influenced what the world looks like today single handedly. He mentioned Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev… and Billy Graham.
Billy Graham has been the one exception to the vile cesspool of televangelists that infested North American culture for much of the 80’s and 90’s (and to some degree today… but not nearly as bad). Being in the lime light almost all of his life, the most controversial thing he’s ever been a part of was once making a statement of agreement with President Nixson back in the 60’s that Jewish people had a stranglehold on the public media. After the fact he said: “I went to a meeting with Jewish leaders and I told them I would crawl to them to ask their forgiveness.” According to Newsweek magazine, “The shock of the revelation was magnified because of Graham’s longtime support of Israel and his refusal to join in calls for conversion of the Jews.”
Regardless of religious or political beliefs, one can not deny Billy Graham has lead one of the most fascinating lives, and somehow has done it with the respect of just about every human being he’s come across. A true “good man” that is so hard to find. Now, Robbie Benson is making a movie about his early life. Yahoo News gives us this:
Robby Benson knows how it sounds. But his reason for making a movie about the life of a young Billy Graham, the director says, is simple: “I wanted to make a movie about goodness.”
“Billy: The Early Years” focuses on Graham’s life as a teenager growing up on a dairy farm in Charlotte through his years as a young man, when he became a super-evangelist, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to his preaching tour “crusades.” “It’s just a love story to Billy,” said Benson, who despite a long career as a television and film director is still best known for his days as teen heartthrob in movies such as “Ode to Billy Joe” and “Ice Castles.” “And it’s also a love story to trying to do the right thing, just trying your best to be decent and not hurt others and add to the planet.”
Personally I can’t wait to see this. Having once been in the Church, Billy Graham was an influence at one time in my life and I’ve always had the most incredible respect for him, even after leaving the church. He is a rare “good” man.
