May 15th 2007 was one of those days. A day that deadlocks the traffic of life’s routine and gives cause to stop and reflect. Perhaps much like 9/11, or the day that President Ronald Reagan passed away. One of those days when the whole world, for a moment, seems to stop and you find yourself all-consumed, soaking up every last emotion of that moment.
May 15th 2007 was one of those days. A day that became muddied by a heaviness of heart. One that allowed me to reflect on all that one man had added and invested in my life. A heaviness of heart not for one man’s soul but rather the void his departure will leave in a society and culture in desperate need of such a moral icon. Such a Man of God.
May 15th 2007 was one of those days. A day spent recounting the legacy that one man’s unwavering pursuit of spreading the word of God all over the world has had on a culture, a society, a world, and my life. Polarizing? Yes. Committed? For certain. A world changer? Absolutely. A life dedicated to a God given transcendent vision that changed my life and countless others for eternity.
May 15th 2007 was one of those days. A day to cry out in thanks giving for the legacy that one man passed on not to ten or a hundred or a thousand or ten thousand, but ten’s and hundreds of thousands of young men and women across this country and around the world. And so a heavy heart rejoiced knowing that one man committed his life to the mission of Matt. 28:18-20 empowering thousands to fill in the gap that one man would leave. He embodied the life of a visioneer and spent every breath in its pursuit. A life spent in the “ARENA” many times “marred by dust and sweat and blood” knowing the great enthusiasms and great devotions of a life that honored his Lord and Savior.
May 15th 2007 was one of those days. A day that left me asking “HOW”. How can I honor all that this one man and his vision have added to my life? What of my life and the calling that might be placed on it? And so it must be a life of “What ever it takes”. A life in that same arena, unwavering, un-stoppable to the fulfillment of the vision my Heavenly Father has passed on to me. A life committed to the mission of Matt. 28: 18-20. This I believe honors that one man and ultimately THE ONE MAN!
May 15th 2007 was one of those days. A day that dawned great hope for a nation desperately in need of a spiritual awakening. A hope vested in the foundational vision of a man planted deep in the fertile soil of men and women all over the world. For a man has sewn much seed whose fruit is overflowing the void left by his departure from this life and is now resting in the arms of his Savior.
May 15th 2007 was one of those days. A day that became muddied by a heaviness of heart. One that allowed me to reflect on all that one man had added and invested in my life. A heaviness of heart not for one man’s soul but rather the void his departure will leave in a society and culture in desperate need of such a moral icon. Such a Man of God.
May 15th 2007 was one of those days. A day spent recounting the legacy that one man’s unwavering pursuit of spreading the word of God all over the world has had on a culture, a society, a world, and my life. Polarizing? Yes. Committed? For certain. A world changer? Absolutely. A life dedicated to a God given transcendent vision that changed my life and countless others for eternity.
May 15th 2007 was one of those days. A day to cry out in thanks giving for the legacy that one man passed on not to ten or a hundred or a thousand or ten thousand, but ten’s and hundreds of thousands of young men and women across this country and around the world. And so a heavy heart rejoiced knowing that one man committed his life to the mission of Matt. 28:18-20 empowering thousands to fill in the gap that one man would leave. He embodied the life of a visioneer and spent every breath in its pursuit. A life spent in the “ARENA” many times “marred by dust and sweat and blood” knowing the great enthusiasms and great devotions of a life that honored his Lord and Savior.
May 15th 2007 was one of those days. A day that left me asking “HOW”. How can I honor all that this one man and his vision have added to my life? What of my life and the calling that might be placed on it? And so it must be a life of “What ever it takes”. A life in that same arena, unwavering, un-stoppable to the fulfillment of the vision my Heavenly Father has passed on to me. A life committed to the mission of Matt. 28: 18-20. This I believe honors that one man and ultimately THE ONE MAN!
May 15th 2007 was one of those days. A day that dawned great hope for a nation desperately in need of a spiritual awakening. A hope vested in the foundational vision of a man planted deep in the fertile soil of men and women all over the world. For a man has sewn much seed whose fruit is overflowing the void left by his departure from this life and is now resting in the arms of his Savior.
The following was written in honor of Dr. Falwell by his son Jonathan Falwell:
Honoring My Father
In I Kings chapter 2, the great King David spoke to his son Solomon about the important things in life. David, who was on his deathbed, shared with Solomon the importance of always following God's will in his life. David told his son to be strong, to obey God's laws, and to never stray from what he had learned about God's promises. In the end, David promised Solomon that if he would follow God throughout his life, he would be able to accomplish great things.
These principles that David shared with his son are the same principles that my dad followed throughout his life. He held God's promises close to his heart throughout his 55 years as a Christian and more than 50 years as a pastor, never losing sight of the unique vision God had planted in his heart.
I saw through the years that my dad always sought God's direction and then boldly, even audaciously, went to work to carry out what God placed in his heart.
As David shared those principles with Solomon thousands of years ago, my dad also shared the same principles with my brother Jerry Jr., my sister Jeanie, and with me. He not only verbally shared them with us; he lived them out in amazing ways.
I never once saw my father stray from God's direction. I never doubted dad's walk with God because I witnessed his unswerving commitment to follow God's principles every step of the way. What a legacy!
I am praying now that I can live my life as a humble and committed servant of God, as my dad did, as my family continues to keep the vision alive.
My dad frequently quoted Proverbs 29:18, which simply states, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." My dad was most definitely a man of vision.
As his son, I had a unique perspective on the growth of Thomas Road Baptist Church and Liberty University. I have witnessed many events, both good and bad, in their histories. One thing that was always evident was that dad never stopped believing in the vision that God placed on his heart. He was simply tenacious in following God's instructions.
I was born in 1966, ten years after dad started his public ministry. As far back as I can remember, my memories of dad are of a man who was fully committed to doing everything he possibly could to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I remember many days and nights when he would come home and would tell the family the plans that God had laid on his heart for new ministries. I remember those first conversations about starting a college. His vision was to build a college that would further the educational arm of the ministry that had already begun with the founding of Lynchburg Christian Academy. He was buzzing with excitement at this new venture God had placed in his heart.
I remember his conversations about expanding the television ministry across America to reach every possible home with the Gospel.
I remember those early conversations about trying to impact the culture by getting involved in politics.
I remember him sharing his passion to bring Christians to the political table.
All along the way, my dad never got discouraged or sidetracked from the vision. He remained steadfast in a way that only Jerry Falwell could.
As I think back on my dad's nearly 51 years of ministry, I can only attribute its great success to God and a man who understood vision. I hope that I, too, will be able to effectively teach these principles to my children in the years to come.
And, I hope that as I continue teaching these principles - to the church and to my own family - that it will be far more than just words. I am praying that God will allow me to embody the dedication to the Gospel in my life that I saw in my father's life.
May people see these principles lived out every day in my life, just as I had the great privilege of witnessing this in my dad's life.
The Falwell Confidential Will Continue On
One of the ways in which I will keep my dad's legacy alive is to take on his role in writing the Falwell Confidential. I will be working with the National Liberty Journal staff and continuing to confront the culture through this communiqué. I ask that you pray for me as I take up the mantle of Jerry Falwell in this manner. I certainly feel humbled by the great challenge of filling his shoes in this way. But I believe this is how he would want it to be.
In I Kings chapter 2, the great King David spoke to his son Solomon about the important things in life. David, who was on his deathbed, shared with Solomon the importance of always following God's will in his life. David told his son to be strong, to obey God's laws, and to never stray from what he had learned about God's promises. In the end, David promised Solomon that if he would follow God throughout his life, he would be able to accomplish great things.
These principles that David shared with his son are the same principles that my dad followed throughout his life. He held God's promises close to his heart throughout his 55 years as a Christian and more than 50 years as a pastor, never losing sight of the unique vision God had planted in his heart.
I saw through the years that my dad always sought God's direction and then boldly, even audaciously, went to work to carry out what God placed in his heart.
As David shared those principles with Solomon thousands of years ago, my dad also shared the same principles with my brother Jerry Jr., my sister Jeanie, and with me. He not only verbally shared them with us; he lived them out in amazing ways.
I never once saw my father stray from God's direction. I never doubted dad's walk with God because I witnessed his unswerving commitment to follow God's principles every step of the way. What a legacy!
I am praying now that I can live my life as a humble and committed servant of God, as my dad did, as my family continues to keep the vision alive.
My dad frequently quoted Proverbs 29:18, which simply states, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." My dad was most definitely a man of vision.
As his son, I had a unique perspective on the growth of Thomas Road Baptist Church and Liberty University. I have witnessed many events, both good and bad, in their histories. One thing that was always evident was that dad never stopped believing in the vision that God placed on his heart. He was simply tenacious in following God's instructions.
I was born in 1966, ten years after dad started his public ministry. As far back as I can remember, my memories of dad are of a man who was fully committed to doing everything he possibly could to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I remember many days and nights when he would come home and would tell the family the plans that God had laid on his heart for new ministries. I remember those first conversations about starting a college. His vision was to build a college that would further the educational arm of the ministry that had already begun with the founding of Lynchburg Christian Academy. He was buzzing with excitement at this new venture God had placed in his heart.
I remember his conversations about expanding the television ministry across America to reach every possible home with the Gospel.
I remember those early conversations about trying to impact the culture by getting involved in politics.
I remember him sharing his passion to bring Christians to the political table.
All along the way, my dad never got discouraged or sidetracked from the vision. He remained steadfast in a way that only Jerry Falwell could.
As I think back on my dad's nearly 51 years of ministry, I can only attribute its great success to God and a man who understood vision. I hope that I, too, will be able to effectively teach these principles to my children in the years to come.
And, I hope that as I continue teaching these principles - to the church and to my own family - that it will be far more than just words. I am praying that God will allow me to embody the dedication to the Gospel in my life that I saw in my father's life.
May people see these principles lived out every day in my life, just as I had the great privilege of witnessing this in my dad's life.
The Falwell Confidential Will Continue On
One of the ways in which I will keep my dad's legacy alive is to take on his role in writing the Falwell Confidential. I will be working with the National Liberty Journal staff and continuing to confront the culture through this communiqué. I ask that you pray for me as I take up the mantle of Jerry Falwell in this manner. I certainly feel humbled by the great challenge of filling his shoes in this way. But I believe this is how he would want it to be.
"If your vision is for a year, plant wheat. If your vision is for ten years, plant trees. If your vision is for a lifetime, plant people." 
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2 comments:
thank you for your encouragin words surrounding this tragic loss. what a legacy he left. i will always be greatful for what he has meant in my life as a result of his willingness to follow God's leading
great post about a great man. it was a weird feeling to know he had passed away. he was a man of great faith and to think he was no longer here, was strange for me. but he died doing what he loved and at a location where he poured out his vision and on a campus full of dreams. i am grateful for liberty university. i am grateful that mr. falwell walked the campus when i was there.
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