Thousands of people raised their voices, hands and American flags on the bright green lawn of the Minnesota State Capitol. It was a warm, sunny Thursday afternoon as Franklin Graham called Christians to reclaim their country and reengage in the political realm.
Over 6,300 people showed up in support.
“We need to start standing up and taking back that ground we’ve lost,” said Katherine Klein. “Not just in the political arena, but morally and in values as well.”
Enthusiasm for this cause can come easily when you’re surrounded by people of the same heart and mind, but what happens when the crowd goes home?
“What we really got yesterday from Franklin’s speech was to become active,” Katherine said, holding a “Jesus matters Jesus saves” sign. She talked about Franklin Graham’s challenge to run for local office, and now that she has more free time, she said, “I would probably be more likely to take that pretty seriously.”
Katherine and her husband, Ted, live in Stillwater, Minnesota, but decided to attend the Decision America rally in Madison, Wisconsin, a day prior to Thursday’s St. Paul rally. Ted is from Minnesota and Katherine from Wisconsin, so they wanted to pray for the places they each grew up.
The Kleins weren’t the only Minnesotans whose passion for God and America inspired them to put some miles on their car.
Jim and Laurie Syverson made a 150-mile trek from the edge of the state to the Capitol with seven of their nine children, and they don’t want the trip going to waste.
“We want to be a part of history,” Jim said when asked how he wants this rally to impact his family. “We don’t want to go away and just forget, but to remember to take it home and tell others about it. You can start a blaze with just a spark.”
Even the younger Syversons know they can make an impact. Each of Jim and Laurie’s children of voting age plan to cast their ballots this fall.
“What can I do?” Franklin Graham asked the crowd about personally influencing the political scene. “Well, be willing to vote! And take your family, take everybody to vote for candidates that stand for biblical truth.”
Volunteer Jimmy Perdomo from Maranatha Minneapolis Church moved to Minnesota from Honduras about a year ago. As a new citizen, he’s excited to engage in American politics and looks forward to voting in November. He also hopes the Decision America Tour will encourage other believers to step up in running for office at all levels.
When Christians don’t participate in politics, he said, “of course non-Christians are going to take our place.”
That’s something Franklin Graham echoed in his message Thursday: “We need leaders in high places who are not afraid to mention the name of Almighty God and His Son, Jesus,” he said.
Jimmy has seen his church unify in prayer for both Decision America and the country as a whole, but doesn’t want that momentum to stop when Franklin Graham steps off the stage. He wants the impact to continue throughout his church and city.
Since January, over 140,000 people from all denominations and political backgrounds have joined the Decision America Tour. With that many people praying and voting according to biblical principles, Franklin Graham has said, the face of American politics could be changed for the better.
Before leaving St. Paul, he encouraged the crowd to move forward with a mission to leave their mark on politics and live out their faith daily.
“Remember being here and the prayers you have prayed, and I want you to go back home and get involved,” he said.
