Jerry Falwell: 1933-2007

Dr. Jerry Falwell, pastor, educator and leader, died this morning. Evidently his work here on earth is finished and so God took him home. He was 73 years old.

He was the founder of Liberty University in Virginia and the outspoken leader of the Moral Majority and Christian Conservatism in the ’80s and early 90s. He was a friend of presidents. No matter what people thought of him, several things can be rightly said and agreed upon about him:

He was passionate about what he believed, and did not compromise on those beliefs. As such, he was often labeled “intolerant” by those who believe we should be tolerant of everything.

He was consistent. We knew what to expect from him. He was a person of integrity.

He was influential for good. He made a difference in the lives of many people.

He bore up under ongoing ridicule from those who opposed him or wrote him off as a fanatic unworthy of being heard. He did not give up, but kept going. He was dedicated.

He responded to his critics with respect, and did not back down from his belief that what God says is true. He based his life work on that foundation. He did not ridicule those who disagreed with him.

When he made mistakes, he took responsibility for them. He did not hide or make excuses for himself, nor did he blame others for them.

He believed in goodness and in truth. He believed that certain things were right and a lot of things weren’t, and that human at any stage is valueable and worth fighting for.

He smiled a lot. A dour countenance was not his way, and he was definitely not an angry man. He did not yell or shout; he was quiet and firm.

With his death occurring only a few months after the death of Anna Nicole Smith, I cannot help making a comparison between the two: how they lived, their impact, and how they look from behind.

What did Smith contribute to the rest of us? What impact and influence did she have on the lives of others? How did she fill in the gap between the date of her birth and the date of her death? What did she believe? Did she help anyone become a better person? Did she stand for anything? We are fascinated by her life and more so by her death and the subsequent sparring that occurred because of it, but why? What did she do that was so impressive? Why did we honor her which so much notice? I don’t get it.

Falwell’s death is spoken of by reporters today in hushed tones. There is a quiet respect and admiration as the details of his death are given. There is no frenzy. From FoxNews to CNN there appears to be agreement across the board that this was a man of substance and influence. Why else would he have been interviewed only last week by CNN for his opinions on partial birth abortion, traditional families and God? It is clear that even the opposition respected his quiet confidence.

See you later, Jerry. I did not know you here on earth, but I look forward to catching up with you when I get to where you are.

Photo of Jerry Falwell courtesy of Jerry Falwell Ministries