Preface
World Aflame has been written in the heat of a multitude of other responsibilities. There have been hundreds of interruptions — from Ned and Franklin running into my study wanting to play ball to a week spent in the hospital. It seemed that every time I had a few days to work on the book, a new outside challenge would present itself or a new emergency would demand my time and attention. But the message of this book kept burning in my soul; it had to be written!
Pascal said: "Certain authors, when they speak of their work, say: 'My book, my commentary, my history' . . . They would do better to say 'our book, our commentary, our history,' since their writings generally contain more of other people's good things than of their own."1
This is our book! I wish to thank all who have helped with World Aflame. Special appreciation goes to the following who read the manuscript and made valuable suggestions:
The Reverend Frank Colquhoun
The Reverend Lee Fisher
Dr. Frank E. Gaebelein
Dr. Carl F. H. Henry
Dr. Roy L. Laurin
Dr. Wilbur M. Smith
The Reverend Calvin Thielman
Finally, it was read by my wife, Ruth, my most valued critic.
I am grateful to Wanda Ann Mercer who coordinated the material
Page viii
and supervised the typing, which was done by Martha Warkentin and Elsie Brookshire.
Over the years I have gathered ideas and even quotations from sources long since forgotten. To every one whose books and articles I have read, to every man with whom I have talked or prayed about man's need for God and God's plan of redemption, to every minister of the Gospel whose sermons I have heard, I express my gratitude, for each has contributed in some measure to this book. I regret that it is not possible to list each one by name.
It is my sincere hope and prayer that God will bless "our" book.
BILLY GRAHAM
Montreat, North Carolina
June 1, 1965
_______________
1. Blaise Pascal, Pensées. Tr. with introduction by J.M. Cohen (Baltimore: Penguin Books, Inc., Penguin Classics, 1961), p. 42.
