The American evangelist is due to speak at a youth event in the Wirral and at the Liverpool exhibition centre on 14 May as part of his God Loves You UK tour. The invite says, “Join Franklin Graham as he shares a personal message of hope and enjoy an exciting evening of live music. This event is free of charge. Bring your friends and family!” The sight of these slogans on the side of buses in Liverpool seems to have triggered the Metro Mayor of Liverpool, Steve Rotherham, who wrote to the bus companies demanding that they remove the adverts.

The Metro Mayor of Liverpool wants Franklin Graham’s adverts displaying the message “God Loves You” to be pulled off local buses.
“God Loves You”. “Looking for Something More?”. They may not be the most outstanding advertising slogans you have ever heard, but apparently in modern Britain, these slogans now constitute “hate speech”. At least they do if they are said by Franklin Graham. It seems we have reached a place where hate speech is no longer about what is said, but rather who says it.
The American evangelist is due to speak at a youth event in the Wirral and at the Liverpool exhibition centre on 14 May as part of his God Loves You UK tour. The invite says, “Join Franklin Graham as he shares a personal message of hope and enjoy an exciting evening of live music. This event is free of charge. Bring your friends and family!”
The sight of these slogans on the side of buses in Liverpool seems to have triggered the Metro Mayor of Liverpool, Steve Rotherham, who wrote to the bus companies demanding that they remove the adverts.
He told Arriva, “To say that I’m angry that the views of a known hate preacher – who has an appalling track record of homophobic and Islamophobic views – are being displayed anywhere in our city region would be an understatement.”
Apparently, Mr Graham is a “known hate preacher” because he is opposed to radical Islam and same-sex marriage.
We have been here before. In 2020, Franklin Graham’s UK tour was cancelled because of similar concerns. He went to court and was successful. A few years ago, Blackpool City Council also lost a court case after they were sued for removing bus adverts for a Franklin Graham event. They had to apologise and make compensation to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. In both these cases the judge noted that the councils were not behaving in a fair and appropriate manner for a civic authority.
Rotherham has clearly not learned that lesson. As a civic authority he thinks that he has the right to demand that private companies remove legal slogans, for a legal campaign – just because he does not like the person who is making them.
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When conflict does arise, there is a clear crossroads to consider. Will you respond in the same manner as last time, or choose a different and better path? The work that has already been done to understand and address your heart, responsibility, and sin now gives you the opportunity to respond in love when these temptations strike. It is love that combats the effects of sin through conflict. To actively face conflict with sacrificial love adds a new dynamic to the circumstance. 

There are many truisms in life that have been handed down from one generation to another. To name a few: “Don’t run with scissors,” “Back up your hard drive,” and my favorite, “It takes two to tango.” In life, interpersonal conflict happens when two people at odds with one another are combative and seek only to fulfill their unmet ruling desires (James 4:1-5). This dance can go on for decades. However, it can be hard to have an ongoing conflict if one or both remove themselves from the dance of toxic conflict—not through fleeing the circumstances but by engaging differently in the transforming work of the gospel (1 Cor. 5:14-15; Rom. 6:10-11; 5:1-5; 8:28-30).
Have you ever tried to fight with someone who is responding biblically with kindness? It’s tough. The next time you find yourself in conflict, consider the following pathway. It begins with removing yourself from the equation by applying these biblical principles:
Consider Your Heart (Prov. 4:23; Heb. 4:12; James 1:13-15)
When conflict strikes, the tendency is to consider the circumstances by first focusing on what has happened to you. It is interesting to observe that different people and personalities respond differently to the same set of circumstances. The fire of interpersonal conflict starts from within, not outside of us. To help address the issue, we first must ask, “Why did this circumstance bother me so much?” In many cases, this requires some help. For example, asking God for help to see your desires accurately. It could also involve asking a friend to give perspective and insight on how you are interpreting the situation. Journaling, along with Scripture meditation, is a helpful tool to engage with what is in one’s heart. It brings words and descriptions to what is in the heart. Looking at words on paper can bring perspective and help you see yourself accurately.
Clarify Your Responsibility (Rom. 12:1-3; Phil. 4:8; Ps. 139:23-24)
When it comes to conflict, most people take the “car accident approach” to dealing with their problems. This means they quickly assess the percentage of the conflict the other person is responsible for to determine the effort required to make things better. In other words, if I’m only 1% at fault, then they should be doing 99% of the work to make things better. Taking yourself out of the equation in conflict means starting with your responsibility first. In fact, even if you are 1% at fault, you are still 100% responsible for those actions before God and others.
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As many of you have seen our church was struck by lightning this afternoon and a fire ensued. The fire department was there very quickly and many put themselves in danger during the storm to put the fire out. The damage seems to be contained to the middle third of the building. However, Pastor Holcomb’s office was badly damaged, the sanctuary was significantly flooded and the fire knocked out the power.

SURFSIDE, S.C. (WPDE) — The Surfside Presbyterian Church caught fire Monday afternoon [July 4].
Senior Pastor Brian Peterson, at Surfside Presbyterian, told ABC15 News most of the damage sustained is to the bell tower, the second-floor offices and a few other areas surrounding the center of the church.
Peterson said on Monday afternoon, his teenage son was the one who first asked him about the fire.
He said it was just a few minutes after that that he began receiving calls and texts about the flames.
Horry County Fire Rescue said lightning appears to have hit the church’s bell tower.
Crews said the fire is under control with no reported injuries.
Peterson added there’s not much smoke damage, but there is extensive fire and water damage inside.
“It’s a mess. What used to be up is now down; on the floor,” he said. “Water has created damage up and down the hallways, so we’re trying to preserve whatever we can from those offices. The sanctuary seems to be in relatively good shape compared to the rest of the building.”
Peterson said they’re not letting this stop the church from moving forward.
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One of the elders commented on a Facebook page: “As many of you have seen our church was struck by lightning this afternoon and a fire ensued. The fire department was there very quickly and many put themselves in danger during the storm to put the fire out. The damage seems to be contained to the middle third of the building. However, Pastor Holcomb’s office was badly damaged, the sanctuary was significantly flooded and the fire knocked out the power. It is uncertain when we can return. Watch this page and your email about this coming Sunday. Praise the Lord that no one was there and pray that, if needed, we will be able to find a location for our Sunday services!”

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