This week, Cissie Graham Lynch interviewed her father, Franklin Graham, about his views on the many global catastrophes, such as terror attacks and natural disasters, now happening.
Whether it's international turmoil, a devastating earthquake in Haiti, or a spike in COVID cases, the weight of recent weeks hasn't surprised God, Lynch said in her podcast Fearless.
Franklin Graham, who has been actively involved in the rescue of Afghan civilians, told his daughter that his hope is not in the world.
"My hope is in God. It's not in our political leaders and the United Nations or whatever," the evangelist maintained.
Additionally, he said that Christians would continuously endeavor to make a difference so long as they remain on this earth.
"We want to be salt and light in this dark world. We want to be an example for Christ. We want to reach out in more people and care for people and do it in the name of Jesus Christ so that we can win people to Christ. And that's what we're called to do," he said.
"Jesus told us to go out all the world and make disciples of all nations and a baptizing name the Father, the Son, Holy Spirit, but that command is still in force. He has not rescinded that order."
The seasoned minister emphasized that regardless of church traditions and doctrines on ecclesiology and spiritual gifts, Christians should have this as their primary objective.
Reflections on the upcoming 9/11 anniversary
The Twin Towers collapsed on September 11, 2001, and Lynch was still in high school at the time. Following the tragedy, her father witnessed people desperately trying to find their loved ones at Ground Zero.
Everyone was despondent. Graham said that people "didn't have any hope" and that they were just afraid.
"I realized after that- that we needed to have something at the Billy Graham Association where we could respond to ... those kinds of crises," he explained.
The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team was formed because of that incident, and today has over 1,500 trained chaplains who are ready to rush into a catastrophe to help as needed. They help people going through hard times by offering love, prayer, and consolation.
Right after 9/11, America was a nation in need of prayer, and Billy Graham offered a unique kind of comfort to people throughout the country.
As people in the United States began to process the horror of 9/11, they saw something unusual above: a lone plane in the sky. That aircraft carried Billy Graham who travelled to Washington, D.C., to lead Americans in prayer from the National Cathedral.
On the podcast, Franklin Graham shared the story that he told Lynch about how he'd gone to the Capitol building "to reassure our nation that God has not forgotten,"
Graham's counsel for everyone
Even though more than two decades have gone since 9/11, millions of Americans continue to struggle with many of the same hardships and anxieties.
"When the world's falling apart, and people are afraid and don't know what to do, just look to God," urged Graham.
"And for people in ministry," he continued, "don't quit. No, just sit on your hands...ultimately, we can all do something. We may just have to shift our focus and do something a little bit differently."
Next year, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse plan to carry out mission work in nations like New Zealand, Mongolia, Vietnam, and Germany.