Millions of Americans were saddened Wednesday at the passing of an incredible leader of the Christian faith, Reverend Billy Graham.
According to Fox News, Graham died in his home in North Carolina following a long battle with a number of ailments, including cancer and pneumonia.
Following word of his death, many prominent people issued their heartfelt condolences for the Graham family and praised the work that Graham had devoted himself to for so many decades.
President Trump tweeted early Wednesday morning, “The GREAT Billy Graham is dead. There was nobody like him! He will be missed by Christians and all religions. A very special man.”
The GREAT Billy Graham is dead. There was nobody like him! He will be missed by Christians and all religions. A very special man.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 21, 2018
That tweet was shortly followed by an official statement from the White House, which in essence labeled Graham as a great American hero whose passage would be truly mourned.
“Melania and I join millions of people around the world in mourning the passing of Billy Graham,” began the statement from Trump. “Our prayers are with his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and all who worked closely with Reverend Graham in his lifelong ministry.”
“Billy’s acceptance of Jesus Christ around his seventeenth birthday not only changed his life — it changed our country and the world. He was one of the towering figures of the last 100 years — an American hero whose life and leadership truly earned him the title ‘God’s Ambassador’.”
The statement noted how Graham’s simple message of “God loves you” had transformed the hearts of countless people over the years, and pointed out that after the terrible 9/11 terrorist attack, Graham helped comfort the nation when he stated, “God can be trusted, even when life seems at its darkest.”
“Melania and I were privileged to get to know Reverend Graham and his extraordinary family over the last several years, and we are deeply grateful for their love and support,” the statement continued. “Billy Graham was truly one of a kind. Christians and people of all faiths and backgrounds will miss him dearly. We are thinking of him today, finally at home in Heaven.”
Fox reported that Vice President Mike Pence also released a statement via a pair of tweets to mark Graham’s passing.
“Billy Graham’s ministry for the gospel of Jesus Christ and his matchless voice changed the lives of millions,” tweeted Pence. “We mourn his passing but I know with absolute certainty that today he heard those words, ‘well done good and faithful servant.’ Thank you Billy Graham.”
Former President George H.W. Bush called Graham “America’s pastor” and mourned the loss of a man he considered a “personal friend.” Former President George W. Bush echoed those words with his own statement that labeled Graham as a “consequential leader” whose “kindness and grace” had opened countless hearts to the Lord, including his own.
Even former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton released statements marking the death of Graham, who Carter noted “had an enormous influence on my own spiritual life” and who Clinton described as one “of the most important religious leaders in American history.”
The Reverend Billy Graham truly was an “American hero” as described by Trump, one who held fast to his beliefs and convictions and served as a powerful stopgap for those of faith against the incessant and faithless societal push to the left. He will indeed be missed.
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