>> Laura: REVEREND BILLY
GRAHAM MAY HAVE BEEN THE MOST
SUCCESSFUL CHRISTIAN EVANGELIST
SINCE ST. PAUL.
IT’S DIFFICULT TO GAUGE THE
ENORMITY, THE IMPACT MADE BY THE
MAN WHO DIED TODAY AT AGE 99.
IN 2007, HIS ORGANIZATION
ESTIMATED THEY HAD PREACHED THE
GOSPEL TO MORE THAN 215 MILLION
PEOPLE IN MORE THAN 185
COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES OVER
60 YEARS.
THAT DOESN’T INCLUDE THE
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS MORE HE
REACHED THROUGH TELEVISION,
VIDEO AND FILM.
>> RELIGION WITHOUT A PERSONAL
ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS CHRIST WILL
NOT SAVE THE SOUL, AND IT WILL
NOT BRING THE PEACE THAT YOUR
SOUL LONGS FOR!
>> I KNOW THAT GOD HAS SENT ME
OUT AT A WARRIOR.
THE FIVE CONTINENTS TO PREACH
THE GOSPEL AND I MUST CONTINUE
UNTIL HE GETS THE SIGNAL THAT I
AM TO STOP.
>> IF YOU REMEMBER NOTHING THAT
I AM TO SAY TONIGHT EXCEPT ONE
THING THAT I WANT YOU TO
REMEMBER, GOD LOVES YOU.
>> Laura: JOINING US NOW TO
DISCUSS HIS LEGACY IS AN
ABSOLUTE ALL-STAR PANEL OF
RELIGIOUS LEADERS.
IN LAKE FOREST, CALIFORNIA,
PASTOR RICK WARREN.
IN VIRGINIA BEACH, PAT ROBERTSON
FROM THE CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING
NETWORK.
AND IN FORT MYERS, FLORIDA,
GRANDSON OF REVEREND GRAHAM.
IT’S GREAT TO SEE ALL OF YOU ON
THIS SAD NIGHT.
WONDERFUL NIGHT TO REFLECT AN
AMAZING MAN.
RICK WARREN, I WOULD LIKE TO
START WITH YOU BECAUSE I KNOW
THAT REVEREND GRAHAM WAS A
MENTOR TO YOU.
YOU’VE KNOWN HIM FOR YEARS.
TELL US ABOUT HIM, THE MAN AND
THE INFLUENCE ON YOU PERSONALLY.
>> AS YOU SAID, BILLY GRAHAM IS
THE MOST INFLUENTIAL CHRISTIAN
OF THE 20TH CENTURY.
NOBODY COMES CLOSE TO SPEAKING
IN HISTORY TO 200 MILLION PEOPLE
FACE-TO-FACE AND ONLY POPE JOHN
PAUL II AND MOTHER TERESA WOULD
BE AS WIDELY KNOWN AROUND THE
WORLD AS BILLY WAS.
GROWING UP IN A BAPTIST HOME,
BILLY GRAHAM WAS OUR POPE AND I
READ MY FIRST BILLY GRAHAM BUT I
THINK WHEN I WAS IN THE
SIXTH GRADE.
AT 17 I HEARD HIM FOR THE FIRST
TIME AND WAS THRILLED AT THE
OAKLAND CRUSADE.
AND AT 20 I MET HIM
PERSON-TO-PERSON AT THE L.A.
CRUSADE AND BEGAN A 20 YEAR --
EXCUSE ME, A 40 YEAR
RELATIONSHIP WHERE HE MENTORED
ME OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS.
>> Laura: DID TO GET YOU
THROUGH THE GOOD TIMES AND THE
BAD?
DID YOU SEEK COUNSEL FROM HIM
WHEN YOU NEEDED IT MOST?
>> YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE GREATEST
THINGS ABOUT BILLY THAT PEOPLE
DON’T KNOW IS THAT HE WAS IN A
ENCOURAGER TO THE NEXT
GENERATION.
I’VE ACTUALLY TRIED TO LEARN
FROM HIM ON THAT AND A LOT OF
STUFF THAT HE TAUGHT ME I’VE
DONE WITH THE NEXT GENERATION
MYSELF AND ONE OF THEM WAS HE
PROVIDED PLATFORMS FOR YOUNGER
PEOPLE.
I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS IN
HIGH SCHOOL -- NOPE, COLLEGE, I
WROTE MY FIRST BOOK ON HOW TO
STUDY THE BIBLE, METHODS.
I WASN’T A A VERY CONFIDENT
WRITER AT ALL.
BUT BILLY GRAHAM BELIEVED IN ME
AND SOMEHOW HE GOT A COPY OF A
BOOK THAT I HAD SELF PUBLISHED.
HE CALLED ME IN THE MID-’80s
AND SAID I’M BRINGING 13,000
EVANGELISTS TO AMSTERDAM FOR TEN
DAYS OF TRAINING AND I WANT YOU
TO COME AND TRAIN THEM AND TEACH
THEM HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE.
I’M IN MY 20s.
>> Laura: WOW!
>> HE SET I BOUGHT A COPY OF
YOUR BOOK IN 70 LANGUAGES.
I WANT YOU TO COME TEACH THEM.
THAT SOMEONE WHO BELIEVED IN
YOUNG PEOPLE AND HE HAS HELPED
ME EVER SINCE, COACHING THROUGH
DOING THE INAUGURATION PRAYER
FOR PRESIDENT BUSH AND THEN FOR
PRESIDENT OBAMA, THE ADVICE HE
GAVE ME BEHIND THE SCENES WAS
INVALUABLE.
>> Laura: REVEREND ROBERTSON,
I NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU ON THIS
BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN FRIENDS
WITH REVEREND GRAHAM FOR MANY
DECADES.
HE SPOKE SO HIGHLY OF YOU OVER
THE YEARS AND HE SAID -- THIS IS
BACK IN 2002, HE TALKED ABOUT
DEATH, SOMETHING WE ALL FACE,
AND I WANT TO PLAY IT FOR YOU,
LET’S LISTEN.
>> NUMBER ONE NIGHT IN THE
HOSPITAL, TWO NIGHTS IN THE
HOSPITAL, I THOUGHT I WAS DYING.
MY WHOLE LIFE CAME BEFORE ME.
I SAID OH LORD, I AM A SINNER.
I STILL NEED YOUR FORGIVENESS.
I STILL NEED TO CROSS.
AND I ASKED THE LORD TO GIVE ME
PEACE IN MY HEART, AND HE DID, A
WONDERFUL PIECE THAT HASN’T LEFT
ME UNTIL THIS DAY.
THAT HAS BEEN NEARLY TWO YEARS
AGO.
>> Laura: REVEREND ROBERTSON,
YOUR COMMENT ON THAT?
HE EMANATED THAT SENSE OF PEACE
AND IRRESOLUTE CLARITY.
STRIKING ABOUT BILLY GRAHAM.
I WAS AHEAD OF THE COLLEGE
FOLLOW-UP AT HIS NEW YORK
CRUSADE IN ’57, SO WE GO BACK A
LONG TIME.
HE IS A MAN WHO IS SO HUMBLE.
THAT STATEMENT WAS SO HUMBLE.
I NEED GOD’S FORGIVENESS.
HE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT THE
CROSS.
HE NEVER TOOK IT FOR HIMS.
HE WAS THE FRIEND OF PRESIDENTS,
ONE AFTER THE OTHER.
HE LED PEOPLE BY THE HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS.
HE WAS A CLAIMED MAN OF THE YEAR
ALWAYS HUMILITY.
ALWAYS I’VE GOT TO SEEK THE
CROSS OF JESUS.
HE ALWAYS POINTED PEOPLE TO
JESUS AND THE WAY FOR HIMSELF.
THAT’S THE THING THAT STRUCK TO
ME.
I WAS WITH HIM AT THE FALL OF
THE BERLIN WALL.
HE CAME TO DEDICATE THIS
BUILDING I’M IN RIGHT NOW.
HE’S A DEAR DEAR FRIEND FOR MANY
YEARS, BUT ALWAYS HUMBLE.
NEVER, EVER DID HE TAKE ANY
HEIRS TO HIMSELF THAT HE WAS
SOME KIND OF A HOT SHOT.
HE WAS.
HE WAS THE PREEMINENT
EVANGELICAL IN THE WORLD.
50 MILLION EVANGELICALS IN THE
WORLD, HE WAS NUMBER ONE.
EVERYBODY LOOKED TO HIM,
EVERYBODY ADMIRED HIM AND IF WE
WANTED TO GET SOMETHING DONE,
LET’S GET BILLY TO HEAD IT UP
AND THINGS WOULD GET DONE.
>> Laura: YOUR GRANDFATHER,
YOU SAID THAT YOU DIDN’T REALLY
REALIZE UNTIL YOU ARE A LITTLE
BIT OLDER JUST HOW IMPORTANT HE
WAS BECAUSE OF WHAT RICK AND PAT
JUST SAID, HIS DEEP SENSE OF
HUMILITY, WHICH WAS SO
ATTRACTIVE.
HUMILITY IS POWERFUL.
I THOUGHT IT WAS SO POWERFUL IN
HIM.
>> IT WAS.
AND I THINK IS ONE OF HIS
GRANDSONS, WE GOT TO SEE
PERSPECTIVE, WE GET TO SEE HIM
IN WAYS THAT NOBODY ELSE GOT TO
SEE HIM.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE
HUMILITY THAT THE PUBLIC SAW WE
SAW IN PRIVATE.
HE IS GENUINELY THE MOST HUMBLE
PERSON I HAVE EVER MET IN MY
LIFE.
I REMEMBER ASKING HIM ONE TIME,
DADDY BILL, THAT’S WHAT WE
CALLED HIM, I SAID DADDY BILL,
HOW IN THE WORLD HAVE YOU REMAIN
SO HUMBLE IN LIGHT OF ALL OF
YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND IN
LIGHT OF ALL OF THE ADULATION
AND PRAISE THAT YOU RECEIVE ANY
LOOKED AT ME KIND OF PUZZLED.
HE DIDN’T LIKE THE FACT THAT HE
EVEN SAID HE WAS HUMBLE, BECAUSE
HE DID NOT THINK HE WAS HUMBLE
AT ALL.
BUT HE SAID IT’S HARD TO BE
PROUD WHEN YOU BEGIN EACH DAY
WITH GOD.
WHEN YOU BEGIN EACH DAY WITH GOD
YOU REALIZE THAT GOD IS BIG AND
I AM SMALL.
GOD IS GOD AND I AM NOT.
I THINK IT WAS, EVEN FOR US
FAMILY MEMBERS, IT WAS REALLY
HIS HUMILITY THAT LEFT THE
DEEPEST IMPRESSION ON ALL OF US.
BUT IT WAS ALSO HIS MESSAGE.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
SEPARATES HIM FROM SO MANY
DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS LEADERS,
EVEN CHRISTIAN LEADERS, IS THE
IDEA THAT HE PREACHED SO
PASSIONATELY THE IDEA THAT THE
ESSENCE, THE FOUNDATION OF
CHRISTIANITY IS NOT WHAT WE DO
FOR GOD, IT’S WHAT GOD IN CHRIST
HAS DONE FOR US.
AND I THINK THAT IS A HUGE, HUGE
THING TO SAY, BUT IT WAS ALL
ABOUT CHRIST FINISHED WORK ON
OUR BEHALF THAT WE DON’T HAVE TO
ADD WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY DONE
FOR US, THAT GOD HAS ALREADY
GRANTED US HIS APPROVAL IN HIS
ACCEPTANCE AND HIS LOVE BECAUSE
OF WHAT JESUS HAS DONE FOR US.
THE MAN OF COURSE SPEAKS
VOLUMES.
HIS HUMILITY, HIS FAITHFULNESS,
HIS DEVOTION.
HE WAS A FAMILY MAN.
HE WAS KEENLY DEVOTED TO HIS
FAMILY, BUT THEN HIS MESSAGE.
ODD QUESTION, WAS HE FUNNY?
I KNOW PAT WILL KNOW THIS, BUT
THAT HE HAD A SENSE OF HUMOR?
HE SEEMS LIKE MOST OF THE TIME
SO SERIOUS AND BLACK AND WHITE.
I LOVE THAT.
WAS HE FUNNY?
DID HE GOOF AROUND?
>> I THINK THE FUNNIEST PART
ABOUT DADDY BILL IS THAT HE
DIDN’T REALIZE HE WAS FUNNY.
THAT WAS THE FUNNY THING.
I THINK WE SPENT MOST OF OUR
TIME LAUGHING AT HIM RATHER THAN
LAUGHING WITH HIM BECAUSE -- HE
WAS SORT OF UNCONSCIOUSLY
HUMOROUS, BUT HE HAD A
REMARKABLE SENSE OF HUMOR.
AND HERE’S ONE OTHER THING TOO.
HE TOOK GOD VERY SERIOUSLY, BUT
HE NEVER, EVER TOOK HIMSELF TOO
SERIOUSLY.
AND I THINK THAT GAVE HIM A
HUMANNESS THAT WAS VERY, VERY
RELATABLE TO ALL OF US.
>> Laura: RICK, ON TODAY’S
WORLD, IT’S A BROKEN WORLD, IT’S
ALWAYS BEEN BROKEN, BUT LATELY
WE REALLY SEEM MORE THAN I
REMEMBER TO BE AT EACH OTHER’S
THROATS.
IT’S HARD TO HAVE SEVERAL
CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE ABOUT
POLITICS.
PEOPLE TAKE THINGS OUT OF
CONTEXT.
PEOPLE WHO ARE FRIENDS ARE NOT
TALKING BECAUSE OF POLITICS.
WHAT WOULD REVEREND GRAHAM
STATED THAT?
HE STAYED AWAY FROM POLITICS.
HE WAS FRIENDS WITH EVERYBODY.
BUT WHAT WOULD HE SAY ABOUT THE
TONE AND THE RANCOR TODAY
ESPECIALLY?
>> ONE OF THE HALLMARKS OF BILLY
WAS NOT JUST THE HUMILITY THAT
THEY MENTIONED, BUT IT WAS HIS
INTEGRITY ALSO.
HE WAS SPOTLESS AFTER 60 YEARS.
THIRD WOULD BE HE WAS A UNITER.
HE WAS A BUILDER, A BRIDGE
BUILDER.
PEOPLE FORGET THAT IN THE ’50s
AND THE ’60s, BILLY GRAHAM
INSISTED THAT ALL OF HIS
CAMPAIGNS AND CRUSADES IN THE
SOUTH BE INTEGRATED.
FOR MANY OF THOSE SOUTHERN
CITIES, THEY WERE THE FIRST
PUBLICLY INTEGRATED EVENTS IN
THOSE CITIES WHEN BILLY GRAHAM
CAME TO TOWN AND HE SAID I’M NOT
COMING UNLESS THEY ARE
INTEGRATED.
NOT ONLY WERE THEY INTEGRATED
ETHNICALLY AND SKIN COLOR, BUT
THERE WERE ALSO INTEGRATED WITH
ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TRADITIONS
OF CHRISTIANITY.
HE SAID EVERYBODY’S GOT TO BE AT
THE TABLE AND HE PUT CATHOLICS
AND CALVINISTS ON THE STAGE AND
HE PUT PROTESTANTS AND
PENTECOSTALS ON THE STAGE.
AND HE PUT CHARISMATICS AND
EVANGELICALS AND FUNDAMENTALS
AND THEY WERE ALL THERE.
SOME PEOPLE GOT MAD AT THAT.
HE SAID I’M NOT COMING IN LESS
THERE IS UNITY AND OF COURSE IN
POLITICS ONE OF THE THINGS HE
TAUGHT ME WAS THAT YOU’VE GOT TO
SHEPHERD EVERYBODY.
YOU’VE GOT FRIENDS WHO ARE
REPUBLICANS, FRIENDS OR
DEMOCRATS, YOU PASTOR THEM ALL.
YOU DON’T GET CO-OPTED BY ANY
PARTICULAR PARTISAN GROUP
BECAUSE HE HAS TO BE ABOVE THE
FRAY.
THAT’S WHY HE DID, FOR INSTANCE,
PRAY AND COUNSEL AND SHARE.
>> Laura: WE ARE OUT OF TIME
UNFORTUNATELY.
>> ONE-OF-A-KIND.
>> Laura: WE COULD DO AN HOUR
ON THIS.
I WANT TO HAVE PACK AND RICK AND