Billy & Tom

There's a thoughtful article by Charlie Wear on the Next-Wave website, citing the differences and similarities in Tom Cruise and Billy Graham and their respective impacts on the world that's watching. Cruise spent part of the week in NYC promoting his upcoming film, and Dr. Graham is holding his last American crusade in Flushing Meadows. I watched the other night as Billy talked with Larry King, how he quietly, gently and strongly held the attention of his interviewer throughout the experience. And I saw the first half of the interview Cruise had with Matt Lauer this past week - missing the part that made the news, when he roundly criticized Matt as "glib" and trashing psychiatry and medication from his own research.

I don't know if you can simply juxtapose the two, but they have crossed paths culturally at this point in time. Both have an impact, both are standing firm on belief and faith - and yet one just seems to have it together more, seems to know what matters more than the other.