As Billy Graham's granddaughter and a proud evangelical, I worry for our country under Trump
Where is the fight for the marginalized communities Jesus exemplified? The church has been quicker to condemn an NFL player peacefully protesting than they are the racism that brought the protestor to his knees in the first place
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Your support makes all the difference.His legacy and accomplishments are impressive; his character and wisdom like no one this world will see again. He has sold millions of books and preached the gospel to over 2 billion people — but to me, the most important role he played was that I got to call him “Daddy Bill.”
Growing up as the granddaughter of Billy Graham was a privilege for many reasons. For me, the greatest privilege was to have a behind-the-scenes look at a man who had a very public platform. There was no difference between the public Billy Graham and our Daddy Bill. This was a man who would field calls from the president just before coming to my elementary school’s Thanksgiving Day program to watch me perform. He was very present as a grandfather, and for over two decades he led me to believe that I was his favorite grandchild. (I would later find out he told this to all of the grandkids.) Most importantly, he taught me by example what it looks like to do things justly, to love mercy, and to proceed humbly.
Politics are polarizing and personal, and — although my grandfather largely stayed out of them — he taught me to be unashamed of my convictions. His life gave me the platform to do just that. It is obvious to any American that our country is in a dark and divided place. This place, I feel, would hurt the heart of my grandfather because I believe the state of our nation also hurts the heart of our Lord. I want my heart to break for what breaks His heart. I want your heart to break for what breaks His heart.
Jesus said that the world will know we are his followers because of one thing: our love. Our love for the sick, our love for the refugee, our love for every race, every color, every gender, and every lifestyle. Scripture did not say the world would recognize a Christian by their judgment, their hypocrisy, or their fame. Yet, raise your hand if you think lately these are the criteria you look to when trying to identify a public “person of faith”? You see, the church has a branding problem: one that was exasperated by the 2016 election and has been further damaged in the subsequent years.
During that election season and since, the world watched a president devalue women, insult the disabled, put children in cages, and continually promote all things “white and wealthy.” I watched the church (for the most part) say nothing. So, I ask myself: Where is the love we were taught to show others by the Jesus we serve? Where is the fight for the marginalized communities Jesus exemplified? The church has been quicker to condemn an NFL player peacefully protesting than they are the racism that brought the protestor to his knees in the first place.
Over the Trump years, the church has started to resemble more of a country club than a hospital for those in need. My faith — which has been my refuge for most of my life — has now been warped in the eyes of others. Once I realized how evangelicals like me were being seen by the world after the damaging publicity done to us by Donald Trump, I realized I had to say something. I had to say, “This isn’t Jesus!”
As unpopular of an opinion as this may be, I am okay if my president does not share my faith. The danger, however, comes in when the president is held up as a man exemplifying Jesus, while the world is watching. The damage being done to the gospel of Christ is only magnified when our evangelical leaders choose to stay silent on issues which Jesus fought.
I want every American to know that they are loved by God: white, black, wealthy, poor, pro-life, pro-choice, straight, gay, Republican, Democrat, woman, man, or non-binary. God loves you. If you haven’t in any way felt this recently, then we have failed. We are called to love God and love others long, long before any allegiance to any political party.
As I write this, I am finishing up my graduate degree in clinical mental health. I have learned that nearly every human action comes from one of two places: fear or love. Each and every emotion — and subsequent action — can be traced back to one of these two things.
What I watched over the last two weeks as two different political conventions filled the airwaves was exactly that. One was driven by love, and the other, fear. One called for equality and unity for all Americans, while one attempted to fill us with panic. Yet, when I read about the fruits of the spirit, fear is glaringly missing from that list.
However, amongst all the attributes one will show when they are filled with the spirit of God, which was listed first? Love.
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