Graham speaks of Jesus' second coming and U.S. challenges in the wake of attacks.

fresnoBee.com
Evangelist makes a poignant exit

By Doug Hoagland
The Fresno Bee

Billy Graham stepped out of the spotlights Sunday night in Bulldog Stadium as hearty applause surrounded and washed over him. "We love you, Billy Graham," a robust voice rang out of the stands.

At exactly 9 p.m., it was over -- Graham's much-prayed-for evangelistic crusade that spilled over with modern music, smooth videos and bona fide rock stars, but it always returned to the old, old story of Jesus Christ.

Crusade organizers took it on faith. It was God's seamless plan that Graham should appear in Fresno when he did. If true, a city that often beats itself up got a heavenly hug.

A crowd of 41,000 came Sunday, bringing the crusade's four-day attendance to 201,000. People in the stands sang "Jesus Loves Me" on their own, then listened to 92-year-old baritone George Beverly Shea; a sedate contrast to Saturday when a youthful crowd dialed up the energy to rock-concert pitch.

In his sermon Sunday, Graham spoke about the second coming of Christ. Graham said it will happen, perhaps soon, and he suggested that only Jesus can restore order in the world.

He tied his sermon directly to the challenges facing America in the world after the attacks of Sept. 11.

Graham asked people to pray for President Bush as the nation enters into "a strange new war" with frightening implications for the home front: "We may have continual scare tactics like anthrax. We are in for troubled times ... and we're going to have to rethink our lives."

Amid the scary headlines of bombs and bioterrorism, Graham's presence brought comfort to the people who heard him at Bulldog Stadium.

"He has given us a sense of hope," said Noble Draper, 52 of Fresno. "The crusade has brought the community closer together. We had forgotten how much we need each other."

Frank Franco, a 42-year-old Exeter resident, said Graham "put a nice cushion around" Valley residents. And high school student Janelle Schuil of Reedley said the evangelist offered a clear message of hope when people so needed it.

It didn't seem to matter that Graham stumbled over a word or two. Or that the embers of his oratory have cooled with age. It only served to make him human and accessible. He could tell a joke about eating a bug and get a laugh from the crowd. And he talked of Jesus with the freshness of a country preacher assigned his first parish.

People found power in his words, but for an unlikely reason in this complex society. "He keeps it simple, where anybody can understand," said Efrain Mendez, 28, of Fresno.

Graham did so again Sunday, telling a hushed stadium that Jesus, in his second coming, will return to love, but also to judge the world.

Besides his message of sin and salvation, Graham reminded his audiences that he knew something about Fresno. He talked of Hmongs and Hispanics, and Fresno's diversity was reflected in song and prayer Sunday.

Latin dance band Salvador and Christian pop singer Damaris Carbaugh performed. The Revs. Jim Reyes and Nou Houa Moua, both of Fresno, prayed from the platform.

"One thing I'd like to see from this crusade is a new love between the ethnic groups in this area," Graham said to applause from the crowd.

Throughout the crusade, Graham also tried to connect with the Valley by salting his remarks with references to the Bulldogs football team. He said he left the crusade Saturday night thinking the Bulldogs had lost their game against Colorado State. He then praised Bulldogs kicker Asen Asparuhov, who tied and then won the game with field goals.

In a show of humility, Graham said he had so many people to thank for the crusade: "I wish we had a stronger word to say thank you in English."

Some people think there won't ever be another Graham. Others think there already is, and his name is Franklin -- Billy Graham's older son, who's an evangelist, too, and now chief executive officer of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Franklin Graham, 49, helped his father to the podium every night.

Pam Blied said Billy Graham may be "the last clear voice" from God. The 41-year-old Reedley woman added: "Franklin is doing a good job, but those are big shoes to fill."

Donna Peelgren is confident Franklin Graham can lace them up: "He's very much like his father. He has the same clear-cut message, the same ministry. But being younger, he has a bigger impact on young people."

The 67-year-old Kingsburg resident goes way back with Billy Graham. She first saw him at the St. Paul Fairground in Minnesota in 1952.

For the record, the senior Graham has no plans on retiring, said spokesman A. Larry Ross: "He will continue to preach as long as God gives him strength."

The Fresno crusade behind him, Graham will quickly "turn the corner" and focus on what lies ahead, Ross said. Graham will now head back to his home in Montreat, N.C., though Ross did not known his exact travel plans.

Further on his horizon: another big-city evangelistic event, this one in Cincinnati next June.

One day in the future, however, the Graham crusades will end.

People know that, and emotion wells up when they contemplate the inevitable. They equate it to losing a member of their family.

"When he's gone, I will thank God for the opportunity he had to preach the gospel throughout the world," said Mike Talamaivao, a 53-year-old Fresno resident.

Eventually, however, everyone must say goodbye. Billy Graham did to Fresno as the stadium lights burned brightly, and the people who responded to his altar call milled about on the athletic field. During the crusade, nearly 14,400 came forward to publicly declare their faith in Christ.

Sunday, Graham prayed aloud for the new Christian believers: "I want you to know we love you all. But Jesus loves you more, so stay close to Jesus." Graham then sank back into a wheelchair he used during the crusade to exit the stage after breaking his foot in Fresno.

With no fanfare, Franklin Graham stooped down and tenderly put his father's injured foot on the wheelchair's footrest before his father was wheeled off the stage.

Billy Graham never looked back.