Remembering Graham

Dr. Maxwell has many people who loved him from afar and were just so grateful to hear his message of healing.  I penned some lines last night that involve my own personal story but also includes sentiments of many people who are not as vocal as I hence my use of the pronoun, us.

He drew many souls out of darkness and gave them hope of a God who really is our best friend and longs to heal - not punish.

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I was privileged to sit at Graham Maxwells feet at Pacific Union College.  He made the study of Greek possible.  He was a great teacher.  Many will be in the kingdom because of him.  The Lord has blessed and the Lord will bless.

William B. Hull, retired SDA minister

A number of years ago my brother asked me how it was that my view of God and his were so different since we had experienced similar inputs especially from school and church during our growing up years. I could only say that it was because I had come to know and appreciate "the larger view" so eloquently expressed by Graham and the picture of a God who is not what his enemies have made Him out to be. What a blessing this has been and continues to be.

Pat Johnston

That God is not vengeful and severe as his enemies have made him out to be.

You only need to floss the teeth you want to save.

I call you my friends.

Dr Maxwell helped me to fall in love with God.  And helped me to do what is right because it is right.  And because right doing brings good consequences, in my words a life of no regrets.  The happiest times in my life have been in following Jesus.  The way the truth and the life.  Dr Maxwell knew God, a friend of God like Abraham.

He will be missed, but also reunited in a people under God, in a peaceful world, where God is known and loved and respected, not feared.  I will look for Dr Maxwell in the New World to come.

-- Anonymous

The news makes me sad, yet I am so grateful for the gentle, kind persuasion Graham used.  It was around 1972 that he traveled to the various unions and shared the Good News of God with those of us who were elementary teachers for the church.  We got college credit for spending three weeks, all day, five days a week, learning of the One who draws us to Him because He is worthy of our admiration and trust.  Looking back, those were the most productive three weeks of my life.  The smile never left his face as he described the grand themes of salvation, made available for us by the ministry of Jesus, interwoven with the infinite love of the gentle Father, and thereby worked out within us, for by beholding we become changed.  Even as I have stumbled along since then, those three weeks have been a constant source of inspiration and grounding.

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I will always remember the series with Graham and all of us kids on your couch on Friday nights. It was always a time/discussion that I enjoyed.

With love,

Jane Couperus
California

I just receive the news, I'm feeling weird now, sad but also grateful seeing this man of God. The Sabbath School lesson for this week is about one of the most referred stories of Graham and the reason for his illustrated book "Be Careful Who You Trust"... I'm still reading this book to my children.

Sincerely

Daniel Carhuamaca

I simply want to say, God is the kind of Person Graham has made Him out to be, reasonable, forgiving and compassionate. I want to meet God! Graham is a true citizen of heaven and a true friend of God. He knew God well and said of God what was right! Jeremiah 9:23.24 Job 42:7,8

May God continue to comfort Graham's family and friends... we'll all meet again!

Peace to everyone always,

Louis Johnson
Australia

Dr. Maxwell is the reason I am a Christian.  I left the SDA church when I was in my early 20s because the forensic view made no sense to me.  If I believed in God, I could neither respect nor love Him.  I accepted my fate:  Lost.

Ten years later an acquaintance asked me one afternoon, "Have you ever thought about why Jesus had to die?"  (had I ever!) and shared Dr. Maxwell's picture of God with me.  Tears come to my eyes as I write this, remembering the tremendous relief, then joy and gratitude I felt as I began to understand.  I have been growing in grace and sharing the larger view ever since.

Yes, I am a star in Graham Maxwell's crown and I am so thankful for his faithfulness.

Revelation 14:13

A favourite definition of mine from Graham’s guidance has got to be his description of what the gospel really is and who it’s about i.e. the truth about our heavenly father. Most impressive of all Graham's characteristics is his how consistently winsome he is, and to me demonstrates the endearing character of Christ recreated within oneself.  The single most impressive characteristic of Graham’s to me was his persistence for making the truth make sense. He demonstrated this in a particularly memorable recording of mine when after in the process of delivering a study a minister present made a comment and Graham got the bit between his teeth and went after the statement, pressing the conversation deeper with every question until the minister conceded and said ‘you got me there’. Never have I heard anyone so persistent and yet so inoffensive at the same time – totally winsome.

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I am both sad that Dr Maxwell has passed away, and grateful he is at peace after his long and often painful journey.  He was certainly a giant and many of us are so grateful for his faithful labors, his exemplary grace, and professional scholarship.  I am certain in the resurrection, he will meet the warmest welcome and highest commendation from the Savior he loved so dearly and spoke so graciously about.

I know there is now an immeasurable void in your circle.  My mom and I have never even met him in person, yet we both love him like family.  May Dr. Maxwell's loving Father comfort you in this infinite loss.

George Schumpf
Idaho

Graham looked after my career with wisdom and infailing caring from my senior year in college through the next three decades. As a senior theology major at PUC, having taken 15 quarter units of Greek from Graham (who left for Loma Linda after that year), and with my being pushed to the limits by the ultra-conservative purge on my campus, I called Graham and said I was ready to chuck it all. At his invitation, I drove to Loma Linda where he came to his office late on a Friday night to meet me and let me vent, helping me renew my vision.

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