On this week’s episode of “The Ben Shapiro Show: Sunday Special,” Daily Wire editor-in-chief Ben Shapiro talked with Christian leader Franklin Graham, the son of Evangelical leader Billy Graham.
As president of the humanitarian organization Samaritan’s Purse, Franklin Graham has been helping with coronavirus relief efforts in Italy, having launched a field hospital in northern Italy several weeks ago. More recently, the organization has deployed a field hospital in New York City, where the coronavirus outbreak in the United States has been most severe in terms of raw figures.
“As Christians, we want people to know that God loves them, that God hasn’t forgotten them, He hasn’t turned His back on them,” says Graham, who told Shapiro that the organization’s field hospitals resemble military hospitals. “We are going to show [patients] compassion and love, the same that the Lord Jesus Christ would.”
During the interview, Graham also talks about the role faith should play this Easter season, particularly in the time of coronavirus.
“Much of the world is experiencing pain and sorrow like it’s never seen before. The estimates for the people who may die in this country is staggering,” says Graham. “I think this Easter Season is time for us to pause as a country, to pray, and to ask God for His help and His mercy, His blessing.”
Although church services have been increasingly limited, Graham says that people should obey the government orders, and remarks that churches are still going strong, despite a lack of in-person services.
“The churches are not shut down. I think more people are attending online services than they did when you were meeting in person,” said Graham. “There’s something about this virus that has put fear and anxiety in people’s hearts, so I think just more people are online and participating that way.”
“The church needs to continue to be the church, and I just encourage pastors across the country to obey those that are an authority, and I think that’s what the congregations would expect us to do,” said Graham.
After Shapiro asks about acts of kindness people are performing in the name of God, Graham talks about the everyday instances that Americans have been doing to help amidst the pandemic.
“There was a man in New York — a very wealthy fellow, young guy — and he saw us outside Central Park working. He just came and said, ‘Can I help you volunteer.’ He picked up a shovel,” said Graham. “He started shoveling mulch to help. We had to have some walkways, because the grass was turning into mud, and he worked 13 hours shoveling.”
“These doctors and nurses that are willing to put their life on the line, to save the life of other people. It’s incredible,” remarked Graham, “and it’s not just the doctors and nurses but it’s like this fellow, this young guy who had a lot of money, but he had some time on his hands and was bored sitting at home.”
“America has some wonderful people, good people,” said Graham. “I think the media sometimes, we focus too much on the stars, we focus too much on the Hollywood people whose lives for the most part are empty and broken, and have very little to give. But you take a young guy like that, that’s just an example of one of many who have stood up and said ‘Here I am, use me.’”
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