The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Virus Brings Unlikely Faith Fellows Together

April 23, 2020

By Tony Perkins

Whitney Tilson had come down from his Fifth Avenue apartment to walk the dog when he noticed the trucks. Right there, in Central Park, were stacks of tarps and white tents, all “bearing a name he had never heard of — Samaritan’s Purse.” He found out the group was building a field hospital for his fellow New Yorkers and asked if he could help. He hasn’t stopped, Yonat Shimron writes , since.

The Tilsons had never heard of Franklin Graham. Whitney says he’s never been particularly religious, and his wife, Shimron explains, is Jewish. But in a powerful story of people helping people, none of that matters. For four weeks, the Tilsons and their daughters have been spending hours a day at the field hospital, helping spread mulch, set up barriers, feed the volunteers, and any other job that needs to be done. He’s donated shovels, supplies, thousands of dollars of food, coffee, soda, potato chips, and other snacks. “It’s an incredibly impressive organization,” the retired financial expert tells Yonat. “I have no doubt they are delivering world-class critical care to my fellow New Yorkers stricken with COVID-19. Every single person I’ve met has been a genuinely nice person and very competent and good at their job.”

But not everyone was able to look past their own views to the greater good. When Whitney circulated a request to Central Synagogue, where he and his wife were members, asking for spare boots and socks for the medical team, some people balked. “The values harbored by this group and its founder just completely fly in the face of what Central stands for,” one person fumed to an online magazine. But despite the fact that Franklin and Whitney are “polar opposites” politically, he stood his ground. “I’m supporting a hospital that is saving people’s lives,” Whitney said. “I’m not endorsing [an] ideology…” And then he filled up his car with so much food for the workers that he couldn’t see out his rear window.

Franklin was so grateful that he called Whitney and invited the family down to Samaritan’s Purse headquarters — a trip they’re eager to make. “He’s a great human being,” Franklin agreed. “He might disagree with me, and I might disagree with him, but that’s not going to stop us from working together to help people.”

Near tears on a viral video he taped to Samaritan’s Purse, Whitney says, “Everyone’s been thanking me,” he choked up, “but I want to say, thank you. No one is paying you to help my city in our hour of deep, deep need.” New Yorkers, he believes, should be grateful for the group. “Their primary mission in life is not to go out and have hatred toward gays,” he said. “They believe what the Bible says, that homosexuality is a sin — yes. But it is not what drives them. What drives them is, ‘How can I do God’s work by healing people and saving lives?'”

Family Research Council

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Esther 4:13-14, “Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, ‘Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can

escape any more than all the Jews. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the

Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not

attained royalty for such a time as this?’”

Prejudice, especially racial prejudice, is devastating! We are all descendants of Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and

Japheth; so, in one sense, racial prejudice against anyone is genealogical prejudice against a distant relative. Esther

was a Jewish girl, who had become Queen to King Ahasuerus. Haman, who was a governmental official and close to the king, hated the Jews. At this time, Haman did not know that Esther was Jewish. What’s more, neither did the king.

Mordecai was a relative of Esther and Haman hated him. But Haman did not know that Mordecai and Esther were relatives.

Haman had tricked the king into allowing him to plot a genocidal war against the Jews. Esther was the only one who

could intercede for her people before the king. It was a slippery slope. Entering the king’s presence without being summoned could mean her death. Such lay in the king’s hands alone. Esther had sent and received messages from Mordecai. He said, Don’t think you will escape death, if Haman’s plan is exorcised against our people. Just consider that you just might be positioned where you are for “such a time as this.”

Our entire world is facing what might be considered its greatest challenge in history. I’m talking about the Coronavirus (COVID-19). At the same time, many people everywhere are looking beyond themselves for an answer. We all want to live! It’s another way of their asking, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). The question believers should be asking is “What is my role in this dilemma? What is the LORD’s role for me?” First, we need to confess our sins as believers and spruce up our spiritual lives. Whatever our LORD has for us demands clean hands and clean minds. When our minds are rightly focused, our hands will quickly follow suit. We won’t have to look far to find people in need, and if we’re “in tune” with our Savior, we’ll know exactly what to do. His Spirit lives within us and prompts us without question. Now, ask yourself, “Why have I been called for such a time as this?” He has spoken to your heart. Now, go and do it!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

P. S. My church today put out a prayer list that numbered more than 70 indigent people. I’m sure your church has a prayer list. We can

all start meeting our LORD’s call by praying for others. Our President and his team desperately need our prayers! Say what you will,

the LORD’s pressure is on all of us. People I would never have guessed even thought about God, are speaking out about Him – some,

are even coming to embrace Him in faith as LORD and declaring themselves Christians. It’s an exciting opportunity for evangelism!

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”