Alexandria, Virginia, became the site of a recent horrific shooting, where an avowed socialist man who hated the foundational governing philosophy of America opened fire at a Republican congressional baseball practice, seriously injuring Representative Steve Scalise of Lousiana, and wounding a total of 4 individuals.
The gunman had a “kill list” in his possession, reportedly having three members of Congress on it – all on the “Freedom Caucus” of conservative Republicans.
Rather than retaliation against differing political parties Republican and Democrat members of Congress kneeled at the second base of Washington, D.C.’s Nationals field to pray in a touching dedication to seriously wounded Rep. Steve Scalise during their annual charity baseball game.
The gunman who committed this heinous crime, James T. Hodgkinson, was killed by police after the Wednesday shooting rampage. Having forfeited, as the Constitution states, his right to life, liberty, and property, his judgment was speedy and public.
In a national address, President Donald Trump stated, “We may have our differences, but we do well in times like these to remember that everyone who serves in our nation’s capital is here because, above all, they love our country. We can all agree that we are blessed to be Americans … and that we are strongest when we are unified and when we work together for the common good.”
When I watched the President speak these words and witnessed the prayer on second base, I saw the epitome of Christianity. These acts created a foundation of restoration, unity and love from which human and societal blessings can flow. What they have not done is created any acts of protest, vandalism, robbing, looting, or hate. There were no implications to the reduction of individual rights through federal and state gun control laws; instead we saw singing, praying, and forgiveness.
This redemptive message of Christianity continues to set unrivaled precedents of humanitarian charity to the world. For example, Christ’s Church is the single largest healthcare and education provider in the world; it has pioneered orphanages; it has fielded social workers; it has provided protection for children, homes for the elderly, disabled, and terminally sick; it has provided free schooling for poor children, equality, and the ending of chattel slavery and discrimination in multiple societies.
Our Separatist and Puritan English ancestors, along with our founding fathers, hazarded all to establish a nation founded, in their words, to “glorify God” and for “the advancement of the Christian religion” with all of the before-mentioned examples in play, holding the presupposition that “all men are created equal”.
You see, this tragedy in Alexandria, Virginia, is being overcome by the power of God for one reason: the blend of Christian virtue and Constitutional Justice that has been the foundation of American happiness and political prosperity for over 225 years. George Washington gave personal credence to this fact, stating:
“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness–these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens.”
It would do all Americans well to be patriotic and work for the general welfare of all Americans found in the U.S. Constitution where the religion of Christianity materializes itself in governing principles.
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*** Jake MacAulay *** is a Life and Liberty News Contributor and serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the Institute on the Constitution (IOTC), an educational outreach that presents the founders’ “American View” of law and government. The former co-host of the syndicated talk show, The Sons of Liberty, he is an ordained minister and has spoken to audiences nation-wide, and has established the American Club, a constitutional study group in public and private schools.
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