the rix mix

At the new Billy Graham Library near Charlotte NC:

To the right is a cow shed, where a display that has drawn the most curiosity stands. An animatronic black-and-white cow named Bessie says in a southern drawl that Graham has been "preaching the pure milk of God's word for 60 years." Bessie tells kids to "get moo-ving" to learn more about the preacher.

Too undignified & corny? I like it. Graham was born on a dairy farm. His Crusade events were designed to be familiar & reassuring. The staid old hymns & a few perky upbeat songs for the young folks. Graham's friendly but stern sermons, apolitical, not much Baptist hellfire left in them, leading to an invitation to come on down front & accept Jesus while the choir sang "Just As I Am" or some such musical pat-on-the-back. Nobody rushing the stage, the born-agains going foward in an orderly manner, almost strolling, steered through miles of aisles by volunteers briefed in Graham's method of herding them in. They looked like cows headed back to the barn in the evening, know the routine & the destination, the only problem is getting them started. Cows have curiosity, if you've ever had one stare at you from the other side of a fence, but excitement upsets them. Some teetotalers even put a little milk in root beer to flatten the bubbles. The newer generation of evangelicals build kitsch cathedrals & amusement parks, their versions of heaven on Earth, just a drive to the mall; stir audiences up like kids on a sugar high or sound like pop psychology self-help gurus, then hand out lists of rules with plenty of fine print. Graham's message is basically, "Time to come home, so get moo-ving." So old-fashioned. At least Graham felt chastened when his pal Nixon was exposed as a liar & crook. Too bad the current criminal in the White House isn't having a similar effect on his many devoted spiritual allies. Graham Association Crusades are now called "Festivals." Fun.

Labels: religion