Evangelist Franklin Graham is urging Christians to unite and pray for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the midst of what he is calling a turbulent time in U.S. history.
Graham, a vocal supporter of President Trump, made the comments Thursday in social media posts on Facebook and Twitter.
“The division in our country is as great as any time since the Civil War,” Graham wrote on Facebook. “I am calling on Christians to unite our hearts together in prayer for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, and for the leadership in both parties.
The division in our country is as great as any time since the Civil War. I am calling on Christians to unite our hearts together in prayer for President-elect @JoeBiden and Vice President-elect @KamalaHarris, and for the leadership in both parties.
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) January 7, 2021
“Pray that everyone will stop the finger-pointing and realize that both parties bear responsibility for the problems we face today. Pray that they will come together and work together for the good of all of the American people.”
Pray that everyone will stop the finger-pointing and realize that both parties bear responsibility for the problems we face today. Pray that they will come together and work together for the good of all of the American people.
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) January 7, 2021
Graham’s message came hours after Congress certified Biden as the next president.
The post drew 40,000 comments in only one hour.
“You are right. I will pray for them,” one person wrote in a comment that attracted 10,000 likes. “But I'm not quite ready to unite with them. Aren't we supposed to shun evil? Aren't we supposed to stand against evil? The Evil One is in control. I am to pray for them. I am to love them. But I'm not commanded to unite with them.”
Another person wrote in a comment that sparked hundreds of likes, “If I pray for Biden and Harris, it will be so that their eyes will be opened. They openly condone sin and for that reason, I don't want their ‘leadership.’ God will not be mocked!”
Still another person wrote, “I feel the same. It is appalling how the two political parties have acted during the last 4 years. It's time for the country and its leaders to grow up and work together for the good of everyone.”
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Drew Angerer/Staff
Editor's Note January 8, 2020: The author of this piece was misattributed and has been updated to reflect the correct writer.
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
