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Glenn shares highlights from Rev. Billy Graham’s 95th birthday party

November 08, 2013
Wilson

Writer

Glenn was broadcasting from Ashville, North Carolina this morning because he attended Reverend Billy Graham’s 95th birthday celebration last night.

“I'm still in North Carolina. I was at Billy Graham's birthday party yesterday. You know, he's 95-years-old. I hope I'm as sharp as he is at 95. He was crystal clear in his presentation last night. You could see it,” Glenn said. “He's a giant of a man, one of the most humble people… But last night I was thinking about this… because as I was sitting there in this room and, you know, Sarah Palin was there, Lindsey Graham surprisingly didn't show up, but Rupert Murdoch was there, Kathy Lee Gifford… And I know Donald Trump… Greta van Susteren was there.”

“And I'm watching this video and everybody in the room felt small… When we first came in, there were these big video screens that were just showing pictures of his life,” Glenn continued. “The only thing he was missing was, like, a picture of him standing with Gandhi or, you know, trying to shield Bonhoeffer from the bullets. I mean he has done, been, met everyone, everywhere, and he has led. And so you're just watching this, and I'll bet ya Rupert Murdoch felt small, just watching this accomplishment of this one man's life.”

Glenn had only met Rev. Graham once before. What was scheduled to be a half hour meeting at Rev. Graham’s home, turned into a five hour lunch in which the men bonded over their shared faith and their hopes for the future. During the meeting, Rev. Graham shared with Glenn that he believed he had one final sermon left in him to deliver. And last night served as the forum from which he would present it.

“He is just so down to Earth and so real, and the message is not about him – never is about him,” Glenn said. “There was so much to learn… Really just a great and amazing message.”

The message, as Glen described it, focused on the importance of getting America back on the right track and re-orienting with God.

“When I met with him three years ago, he said, ‘I have one more message for America and the world, and I just don't know how I'm going to give it,’” Glenn explained. “And we talked a little bit about it, and he's very concerned about America and he's very concerned that we have turned way too far away – that, you know, as we were talking about, the Western way of life. If the [poll] numbers for the crack-smoking mayor [in Toronto] go up, then Billy Graham is exactly right. And there is nothing or no one that can fix this country or this way of life. Only God can.”

After leaving the event last night, Glenn spent a good amount of time reflecting on what he is supposed to take away from Rev. Graham’s message and the brief time he was able to spend with him.

“Last night in my diary I wrote two words. I'm trying to think what is it that I was supposed to learn from Billy Graham, and I want you to know I can't claim him as a friend. I wish I could. I can't claim him as a friend, I can't claim that he really knows me or I really know him,” Glenn said. “I've met him twice. And I had a five-hour lunch with him one time, me and my family, and I feel as though I know him, but I don't know him. I know his heart, and I know what he gave to me and that is confidence. He told me he had the same fears when he was my age, and he struggled to hear the Lord, too, and it didn't make sense to him… And the gift that he gave to me is incomprehensible, quite honestly.”

“And so this is what I wrote in my diary last night, when I had to figure out what was it I was supposed to take away from Billy Graham, a man I would hope that I could see him again, but I probably never will: Grace and humility,” Glenn continued. “That's who that man is.”

Glenn had the good fortune of being seated with Rev. Graham’s daughter, Ruth, last night. And at one point during the festivities, Ruth asked Glenn whether his children struggle with his public persona the way she and her siblings have struggles over the years.

“At one point, Ruth looked at me and she said, ‘Do your children hate this as much as I do?’ And I knew exactly what she meant,” Glenn explained. “And I said, ‘Yes, but I fear they don't handle it with as much grace as you do.’ And she looked over to her father and she looked back at me and she said, ‘I never get to see my father.’ Families sacrifice so much. Children lose so much because everybody loves their dad or everybody hates their dad. Whatever… They become this public thing and they don't get to be just a normal family very often.”

As Glenn was getting ready to leave, Ruth thanked him for traveling all the way to North Carolina to be a part of her dad’s special night.

“I tell you, it broke my heart when she said that because I haven't done a good enough job of telling her. And I said, ‘Ruth, you don't understand how much your friendship, how much you inviting me to sit with your family, and how much your father has meant to me and how much I've learned. It's an honor to be here,’” Glenn explained somberly. “Grace and humility. The meek, the humble, the broken will be the leaders of tomorrow. They will be the ones that help heal the world. I pray that the Lord breaks me more, should it work to his advantage. And the good news is I know there are lots of people in the world that are praying for that as well – possibly for other purposes.”

TheBlaze will be broadcasting Rev. Graham's final sermon this Saturday, November 9, at 7pm ET in a special called The Cross. Not a subscriber? Start your 14-day free trial of the TheBlaze TV HERE.

Without civic action, America faces collapse

JEFF KOWALSKY / Contributor | Getty Images

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

I slept through high school civics class. I memorized the three branches of government, promptly forgot them, and never thought of that word again. Civics seemed abstract, disconnected from real life. And yet, it is critical to maintaining our republic.

Civics is not a class. It is a responsibility. A set of habits, disciplines, and values that make a country possible. Without it, no country survives.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Civics happens every time you speak freely, worship openly, question your government, serve on a jury, or cast a ballot. It’s not a theory or just another entry in a textbook. It’s action — the acts we perform every day to be a positive force in society.

Many of us recoil at “civic responsibility.” “I pay my taxes. I follow the law. I do my civic duty.” That’s not civics. That’s a scam, in my opinion.

Taking up the torch

The founders knew a republic could never run on autopilot. And yet, that’s exactly what we do now. We assume it will work, then complain when it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the people steering the country are driving it straight into a mountain — and they know it.

Our founders gave us tools: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, elections. But they also warned us: It won’t work unless we are educated, engaged, and moral.

Are we educated, engaged, and moral? Most Americans cannot even define a republic, never mind “keep one,” as Benjamin Franklin urged us to do after the Constitutional Convention.

We fought and died for the republic. Gaining it was the easy part. Keeping it is hard. And keeping it is done through civics.

Start small and local

In our homes, civics means teaching our children the Constitution, our history, and that liberty is not license — it is the space to do what is right. In our communities, civics means volunteering, showing up, knowing your sheriff, attending school board meetings, and understanding the laws you live under. When necessary, it means challenging them.

How involved are you in your local community? Most people would admit: not really.

Civics is learned in practice. And it starts small. Be honest in your business dealings. Speak respectfully in disagreement. Vote in every election, not just the presidential ones. Model citizenship for your children. Liberty is passed down by teaching and example.

Samuel Corum / Stringer | Getty Images

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Start with yourself. Study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state laws. Study, act, serve, question, and teach. Only then can we hope to save the republic. The next election will not fix us. The nation will rise or fall based on how each of us lives civics every day.

Civics isn’t a class. It’s the way we protect freedom, empower our communities, and pass down liberty to the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.