#21 – Visit the Billy Graham library

Whenever I visit our SP head offices in Boone I fly into Charlotte.  When I realised that I actually had time on my travel day home I knew that I had to go visit the Billy Graham library which I have always heard so much about.  I also have memories of seeing Billy Graham at a crusade at West Ham in June 1989 and so feel that he is a part of my story.  All of my colleagues assured me that it was well worth it and to make sure that I allowed a good couple of hours for the visit. 

 

I met my friend Ashleigh for lunch at the BGEA offices where she works and we enjoyed a good catch up.  Then she took me over to the library through a sneaky back route through offices and behind the scenes rooms.  She had to get back to work which meant doing the tour on my own.  But actually that meant I was able to enjoy reflecting in a much deeper way as I went around.

The tour starts with Bessie the Cow speaking to you and I confess that at this point I was concerned that it was all going to be a bit cheesy.  But thankfully it wasn’t.  The library documents the life and ministry of Billy Graham who was one of the most influential voices of the 20^th century and an amazing evangelist.  Billy Graham grew up on a farm and Bessie the talking cow and the barn-styled building are designed to reflect this.  The first few parts are multimedia film rooms where you watch a clip and then move on, but after that you can take things at your own pace and spend as much or as little time as you want in each room and section.

But the library is much more than just a museum of artefacts and information about the lives of Billy and Ruth Graham.  The focus throughout is on Christ and the transforming impact he has had on so many lives – in the life of a young farm boy, and then through him and Ruth across so many across America and all around the world.  It was amazing to see the breadth of Graham’s ministry – the places he had been to and the people he had been able to touch with the love of God.  Although it is the Billy Graham library it is actually a celebration of Christ and what he can do when one man says yes.  An inspiring, encouraging and totally uplifting visit which helped me to keep my focus on why I do what I do and who I do it for.