US Capitol unveils statue honoring Billy Graham: 'One of our dearest treasures'
The statue was created by Charlotte, North Carolina-based artist Chas Fagan of Chas Fagan Fine Art and shows the late Evangelical leader pointing to an open Bible. The statue was crafted using bronze cast at Carolina Bronze Sculpture in Seagrove, North Carolina, while its base is made from granite originating at a quarry in Rowan County, North Carolina.
The base contains the Bible verse John 3:16, which declares, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life."
Johnson highlighted how although "you had to climb on a ladder to see it," the Bible Graham is holding is opened up to Galatians 6:14, which proclaims, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."
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The statue also features the Bible verse John 14:6, proclaiming, "Jesus said to him 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the father except through me.'" A plaque on the statue describes Graham as a "Preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., told the audience that Graham's legacy is based on a simple message: "creation, fall, redemption and our ultimate hope set forth in Scripture."
"He took this message of hope in Christ to more than 185 nations, to more than 200 million people in person and more than 2 billion people through radio and television broadcast," Budd said.
"I was one of those 2 billion who would watch him on TV as a young kid," he recalled.
"More people have heard the good news of Jesus from Billy Graham than any man in our history."
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., called Graham a "trailblazer" for his civil rights advocacy.
"During the 1950s, in an era where leaders in the South openly embraced segregation, it was Billy Graham who spoke out against it," Tillis said. "He insisted in his sermons that they be integrated. He shared his platform with black ministers, including one named Martin Luther King, Jr. Rev. Graham was blessed with a gift that bridged differences and brought us all together."
"He united Americans, he lifted them up, he understood how God's word could change hearts and inspired us to live up to our highest ideals. I hope when members of Congress walk by his statue, they reflect on the standards of faith, ethics and decency that he exemplified throughout his extraordinary life. I believe that his presence here in the Capitol can help us find opportunities to unite around what makes our nation great. There's no North Carolinian more deserving of this honor."
"Our nation is blessed to have Billy Graham as our nation's pastor," he concluded. "It is North Carolina's honor to be able to call him our native son."
Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., said Graham "transcended politics," saying he is "the finest North Carolinian North Carolina has ever produced."
"It is such a proud moment for me and North Carolinians to see Rev. Graham's statue take its place here," Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., added. "Millions of people who visit the Capitol every year will be able to look upon his statue, read those verses and be encouraged."
Although Graham has counseled many presidents, members of the royal family and other public figures, Foxx said Graham was "dedicated to the millions of people around the world who found Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior through his preaching."
"He once described being a Christian as 'more than just an instantaneous conversion, it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ,'" Foxx stated.
"Seeing this statue here every day will encourage us to strive to be more like Rev. Graham and like Christ," she continued, adding that it will enable his "memory and example" to "live on as long as our country exists."
The placement of Graham's statue in the U.S. Capitol has been in the works for several years. In 2015, three years before Graham's death, then-North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed House Bill 540 into law after both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly approved it unanimously.
The bill called on the Joint Committee of the Library of Congress to approve the replacement of a statue depicting Aycock with a statue of Graham.
"There have been many great North Carolinians, but few have impacted the world more than Billy Graham," the legislation stated.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
