Billy Graham and Martin Luther King
An Homage to the End of an Era
By Jonathan Tremaine “JT” Thomas
Martin Luther King Jr. and Billy Graham developed a warm friendship and discussed methods for racial reconciliation. Photo and caption courtesy of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Used with permission. All rights reserved
I personally feel deeply connected to Billy Graham because I was born and raised in Western North Carolina less than 50 miles away from Billy Graham’s home. Growing up as a Christian in that region, it was impossible not to be impacted by the footprint of Rev. Graham’s life and ministry.
As the world reflects on the life and the legacy of perhaps one of the greatest mouthpieces for the Kingdom of Heaven on this side of the book of Acts, one area of criticism from some is his relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement. Some paint Dr. Graham as the picture of historic duplicity and hold him responsible for the evangelical disconnect between moral standards and social standards due to his perceived lack of direct engagement in the pursuit of racial justice. There are a few commentaries pointing to the tensions that he endured between his calling to preach the Gospel of Salvation, his extensive platform with the common man as well as the social and political elite, and his lack of direct engagement with the Civil Rights leaders on the streets.
Birmingham 1964: The integrated choir was radical for the time. Photo and caption courtesy of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Used with permission. All rights reserved
In every generation, God raises up vessels with specific messages that do not waver through the changing cultural tides of social upheaval. In order to advance humanity’s understanding of the divine nature, these messages, when reflected upon comprehensively, each carry overwhelming themes. Dr.Graham’s was RIGHTEOUSNESS, Dr. King’s was JUSTICE. These messages were not opposed to one another. When we understand and recognize how God deals with nations, we can appreciate, celebrate, and imitate the unique approaches that these leaders took in addressing man’s inhumanity to man.
Dr. Graham was 11 years older than Dr. King, therefore they were not necessarily contemporaries. Dr. Graham came to international prominence as a preacher of righteousness, calling the nations to see the wickedness of their hearts as the very root of all of society's problems. Dr. Graham’s conviction and the core of his message was that the best way to deal with societal injustice was to deal with the root of racism, man’s sinful spiritual condition.
“Christianity is not a white man’s religion. Don’t let anyone tell you that it’s white or black. Christ belongs to all people”
When Dr. Graham first rose to public prominence, Dr. King was an unknown but intense young man being prepared for his upcoming journey as a pursuer of justice. He came to international prominence as a preacher of justice, calling America and the Church to see that black people are bearers of the image of God. He preached that our moral righteousness should be reflected in the way the laws of the land acknowledge, defend, protect, and empower the dignity of humanity, particularly the black man. Christian piety should reflect the justice of God’s heart for all people.
Whether Graham and King formally partnered or not, Jesus partnered with them as an act of mercy for our nation and to save us from ourselves. He raised them up as prophetic mouthpieces, two anointed witnesses, representing two pillars that are the foundation of His throne and the substance of the type of governance that He brings: governance with righteousness and justice.
Today, as Dr. Graham joins the great cloud of heavenly witnesses, we honor him as one of the great prophets in our nation’s history. However, let us not go another 50 years building the tombs of the prophets like we have done for the last half century in regards to Dr. King. God says in Isaiah 28:17 that He “will make Justice the measure and Righteousness the level”. We need a new thrusting forth of the Gospel of Salvation in America on every street named MLK Blvd and beyond. We need passionate messengers to declare and release the transforming power of life we have in Jesus Christ with the same zeal and passion as Billy Graham in every arena of our culture, calling the young and old and rich and poor to be washed in the cleansing stream that flows from Calvary, the place where all men and women are equalized.
“Had it not been for the ministry of my good friend, Dr. Billy Graham, my work in the civil rights movement would not have been as successful as it has been”
What’s encouraging about both of these men, is that they were flawed. It’s encouraging because the average person, in their core, possesses some measure of self awareness when it comes to their own shortcomings. As a result, it’s within our nature to feel a little better about ourselves when we discover and expose human weakness in those who are widely perceived as great.
Our social media culture today is one that is fueled by criticism and judgmental commentary, a cesspool of self-inflation, self-promotion, and high opinion. I’m so grateful that Dr. King and now Dr. Graham both stand before the judgement seat of God and not the judgement seat of man. Their lives and deeds are being weighed upon the balanced, merciful scales of His instrumentation and not the merciless waverings of human understanding. I’m so thankful for the pattern that they have set for us to be imitators not just of them, but Christ within them, which is our hope!
So, in this unique moment of American history, the baton of the pursuit of equity in all of its cultural expressions and applications has been passed, not from a father to a son, but from The Father to a generation of sons and daughters who will bear the message of righteousness and justice equally. The question is, Will we take this baton? Will we take our place?
This message was taken from a transcript of a podcast by JT Thomas that you can watch at www.manumission.org, the website home of Civil Righteousness, Incorporated, a network of leaders committed to pursuing restorative justice through spiritual wholeness and moral excellence according to the Biblical pattern. Learn more at www.manumission.org.
This article was originally written for the Summer 2018 Edition of The Journey Magazine