Peace with God

Submitted by JJ Jude on Sun, 05/04/2008 - 11:58.

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Billy Graham wrote Peace with God: The Secret of Happiness in 1953, a time that is often remembered today for its innocence and simplicity. Yet Graham's book, which is essentially an explanation of Christian grace, reminds readers that the stress and anxiety we face today are abiding aspects of the human condition, as challenging in the 21st century as they were in the Eisenhower era. "You are not alone," Graham writes. "All mankind is traveling with you, for all mankind is on [the] same quest. All humanity is seeking the answer to the confusion, the moral sickness, the spiritual emptiness that oppresses the world. All mankind is crying out for guidance, for comfort, for peace." Graham answers those cries with a comprehensive story of humanity's sin and redemption in the person of Christ. Like a traditional sermon, Peace with God includes three sections that are intended to change the reader's heart: "Assessing the Situation" (of fallen humanity); "Advancing the Solution" (to the problems of sin); and "Applying the Antidote" (of Christian belief and spiritual power). By the end of the book, Graham offers "Peace at Last." His exhortation to believe is powerful and decisive: "It's all yours, and it's free. You don't have to work for it," he explains. At Graham's conclusion, the reader may come to understand that peace and freedom, as much as stress and anxiety, are abiding aspects of the human condition, and really can be found. --Kevin Attwood