We’re living in stressful, uncertain times.

The health crisis now affecting at least 185 countries and territories around the globe has altered all daily life, including church services. A normal Easter Sunday would have seen church pews filled with worshippers celebrating Jesus’ Resurrection, the most important festival in the Christian calendar.

Social distancing and stay-at-home mandates have some churches going to virtual online services. The stay-at-home requirements also allow more times for personal reflection.

On Sunday, the Rev. Franklin Graham, one of the nation’s most recognizable faith leaders, delivered a message of hope in New York’s Central Park. Graham heads the evangelical Christian organization Samaritan’s Purse, a humanitarian group founded by Bob Pierce in 1970 that has provided spiritual and physical aid to victims in more than 100 countries.

When New York City became the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in this nation, there was a desperate need for extra beds to relieve the strain from other city hospitals being overwhelmed by virus patients. Samaritan’s Purse immediately responded by setting up a 68-bed field hospital in Central Park. The 14-tent mobile medical facility includes a respiratory care unit with 10 ICU beds equipped with ventilators.

After visiting the emergency field hospital last week to offer comfort to workers and patients, Franklin Graham said that nobody expected this storm that has gripped the entire world, and that there are people that have lost absolutely all hope.

Unfortunately, not everyone welcomed the charity work and prayers of hope from Graham and his volunteers. Almost immediately after the news began to spread that Samaritan’s Purse was setting up the field hospital, some activists and progressive journalists condemned the humanitarian organization for their biblical beliefs.

“Now This News,” an online liberal/progressive outlet, tweeted out a photo of volunteers setting up a huge tent with the caption: “The makeshift hospital in Central Park is being built and run by Samaritan’s Purse, the relief organization run by the notoriously anti-LGBTQ+ minister Franklin Graham.”

Some in the mainstream media soon picked up the story. NBC ran the headline “Group behind Central Park’s COVID-19 field hospital run by anti-gay evangelist.”

New York state Sen. Brad Hoylman put out a statement calling on Graham to “publicly assure LGBTQ New Yorkers that they will receive the same treatment as anyone else at the Central Park field hospital.”

Graham responded by stating that all patients would be treated equally regardless of faith, sexual orientation and religion.

“We certainly do not discriminate, and we have a decadeslong track record that confirms just that,” the evangelist said. “This is a time for all of us to unite and work together, regardless of our political views. Let’s support one another during this crisis, and we pray that God will bless the efforts of all those battling this vicious virus.”

Samaritan’s Purse holds firm Christian positions on sexuality, marriage and the sanctity of life and will never compromise those beliefs. Not too long ago their biblical stands wouldn’t have been controversial, but today’s progressive/politicized climate has poisoned reasonable thought. Attacking a Christian organization doing good works, even during a worldwide pandemic, is somehow considered fair game.

At Central Park on Sunday, Graham delivered a message of hope and salvation, much like the ones his father offered throughout his 99-year earthly life. In fact, 29 years ago the Rev. Billy Graham brought the same kind of faith message as his son to New Yorkers during a huge Crusade in Central Park.

We’re encouraged when we hear the daily stories about the sacrifices being made by health care workers, community volunteers, emergency first responders and our military.

And we’re also heartened by the selfless work of Franklin Graham, whose Samaritan’s Purse has been offering people physical and spiritual help for decades. We were used to seeing them operate in Third World countries across the world, but today we’re thankful to have them touching hearts on American soil … in our largest city.

By Jim Zbick | tneditor@tnonline.com