billy graham's talking cow



as steve over at knightopia reports, in the wake of ruth bell graham's death, billy graham announced that he and his wife had decided to be laid to rest at the brand new billy graham memorial "library" in charlotte, nc. this announcement signaled the cessation of a fairly public power struggle between ruth bell graham, who wanted to be buried on the site of the cove training center, and franklin graham, who was the driving force behind the library in charlotte.*

i mean mrs. graham no disrespect. she was by all accounts a strong, amazing woman who shared a ministry with her husband that was quite unlike any the world has ever seen. however i am a little put off by the penchant we as evangelicals have for commodifying everything, including the remarkable lives of the grahams, in the name of "evangelism." i shudder when i wonder what we will think of next. will it be a death defying, drop of the holy spirit ride on the site of the azusa street church? an interactive, laugh-in musical comedy at the toronto vineyard? the purpose-driven plunge at saddleback? when it comes to evange-tainment, the sky is probably the limit.

* which is located near other significant cultural sites such as the forthcoming NASCAR Museum.