Six months after the assassination of President Kennedy, on May 17, 1964, a special memorial service was held at Kenan Stadium on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Billy Graham offered a tribute to the President, while Governor Terry Sanford, Senator Edward Kennedy and others offered remarks as well.

On that day, Billy Graham shared of a memorable conversation he had with the President:

“I remember when I was riding along the road with [President Kennedy], he was driving.  He suddenly turned to me and asked me a very interesting question that I’ve never forgotten.  He said, or he asked, ‘What do you think the meaning of history is?  Where do you think history is going?’”

I told him that the Bible teaches that God has a plan for history.  There’s a purpose.  There’s a meaning to every life and each one of us has a job to do.  Our life may be long, it may be short, but there is coming a day when the Kingdom of God shall prevail and men shall know permanent peace on this earth.

Ladies and gentlemen, none of us knows when our moment is coming.  For some of us it may be today.  And the Bible says, ‘Prepare to meet thy God.’ (Amos 4:12)

We are to be ready at any moment.  Jesus Christ had only three years of public ministry.  And in those three years, He changed the world, changed the mood of history.”

You can learn more about Billy Graham’s relationship with John F. Kennedy, and other U.S. presidents and world leaders, at our special exhibit: “Billy Graham: God’s Ambassador to World Leaders.” The exhibit runs through October and admission is free.