It was a clash of cultures, bound to cause friction despite the overarching need to save lives. Samaritan’s Purse set up a field hospital in New York City’s iconic Central Park to help treat victims of the coronavirus. It was the first time the humanitarian aid organization set up one of its field hospitals on the U.S. mainland. You got the feeling that any other aid organization would have been heralded as heroic. But because Samaritan’s Purse is run by the very conservative Rev. Franklin Graham, the son of evangelist Billy Graham, its presence in one of the most liberal cities in the country and the world, was for the most part just tolerated. The governor of the state refused to waive state taxes for the medical staff’s meager salaries. There were protests from civil rights groups. And the City Commission on Human Rights launched an investigation to make sure all people were treated equally; spurred by the fact that the Christian-run organization requires all its staff operate on biblical principles. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Rev. Graham speaks to the controversy, and answers his critics.
