“Have you ever wanted to run?”
That’s the question Franklin Graham had for the thousands who gathered in Torshavn, Faroe Islands, on Sunday for the Midsummer Festival.
While many dads celebrated Father’s Day back in the United States, Franklin spoke to the crowd about God’s love for His children despite our rejection, using the familiar tale of the Prodigal Son told in Luke 15.
“People are searching for happiness and they think money will do it. Others turn to drugs and alcohol,” Franklin said. “We’re waiting to find purpose and meaning to our life, but something is missing.”
And for many in the crowd, that something was Christ. As hundreds got up from their seats during the invitation, it was evident they were ready to fill that void.
Sunday’s Festival came just one day after Franklin Graham preached the Gospel in Ukraine, where nearly 2,000 responded to the call to accept Christ into their lives.
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Because of space, the Midsummer Festival had to be split into morning and evening events, with the latter geared towards youth. Between the venue and overflow area, organizers prepared for 2,200 people at each event.
Michael W. Smith led the crowd in worship for both sittings, before Franklin Graham stepped on stage to preach.
“This whole night is about hope,” Smith said in between songs. “Jesus is the answer for the world today.”
Piggy backing off that statement, Franklin spoke a bit about breaking God’s standards. He challenged those listening to uphold what God established in the Bible, mentioning various issues from a white lie to an abortion.
“God’s standards are the same 1,000 years ago as they are today and 1,000 years from today,” Franklin said.
As he often does when preaching the story of the Prodigal Son, Franklin also talked about his own disobedience growing up and how he came around to accepting Christ at age 22.
“I had been running from God,” he said. “I believed in God. I just didn’t want Jesus running my life. I wanted to run my own life.
“But I was miserable,” Franklin continued. “I was empty and my life was broken into pieces.”
Church leaders at Sunday’s event are hoping that relatable message will stick and begin to spread throughout the Faroe Islands.
Torshavn is located north of Scotland, halfway between Norway and Iceland. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association had a longstanding invitation from local church leaders to hold a Festival in the city.
Though much of the Faroe Islands consider themselves to be evangelical Christians, organizers said there are still residents who need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So after much planning, a stop in the Faroe Islands was added to Franklin Graham’s list of 2015 events a few months into this year.
Forty-five churches from various denominations united to help organize the Midsummer Festival.
Before leaving the stage, Franklin looked out into the crowd with a smile, knowing the one-day event was well worth it.
“I’ll see you in heaven,” he said.
