A Sea Of Red

They finally have the place opened up. Anybody else finding themselves interested in checking it out? As the following story mentions, I realize many of you younger FlameFans may not remember Billy in his prime. But those of us that do know his true impact.

Billy Graham Library honors evangelical career
By Yonat Shimron - McClatchy Newspapers

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Oral Roberts assured his legacy when he founded a school bearing his name.

Jerry Falwell founded Liberty University; Pat Roberston, Regent University.

Billy Graham, whom many consider the country's greatest evangelist, chose a different path.

On Thursday, Graham, 88, presided at the dedication of the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C. The library, essentially a museum, opens to the public Tuesday and spans Graham's life -- from his birth on a Charlotte dairy farm in 1918, to his work on six continents reaching an estimated 210 million people with the message of Jesus.

That the ailing Graham chose to anchor his legacy in a museum-like setting rather than a university speaks to the nature of his ministry.

"He's been very clear about his calling -- what it is and what it isn't," said Bill Leonard, the dean of the divinity school at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem. "He was not an educator. He was not a pastor. He was not a president. He was an evangelist."

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My wife has a great picture of our new Chancellor meeting President Clinton at the opening of the library. It's definitely a moment of worlds colliding. I'll see if I can dig up a scanner to get it posted.

Just prior to being booted off the air, Don Imus was on quite a rant about this place, insisting that it was done by Franklin as a fund-raising gimmick, against the wishes of both Billy and his wife. He made a big deal about the talking cow thing.

i remember it was on the news a few months ago. there was some controversy about it.
i think the main controversy was whether or not he would be buried there. i never heard what they decided. i think the kids were arguing about it

Its my understanding that the burial site has yet to be resolved.

As for the talking cow, I'm actually good with it. Tacky? Perhaps. But its purpose is to be used to reach kids in a fashion that is relevant to them. I know my kids are down with babbling bovine.