President Trump's Message to the People as He Was Hit
On July 13th, an assassination attempt was made on former President Donald Trump. Thank God, Trump was not fatally wounded. If the past few years did not indicate just how dire our situation is in America, the attempted murder of Donald Trump should say it all.
In the days following the attack, I considered all that is happening and pondered what to take away from this incident. I have one primary and notable takeaway: it’s not about what happened, it’s about President Trump’s response in the moment. Just seconds after Trump was hit and shown to be bleeding, President Trump told Secret Service “Wait, wait, wait,” proceeded to stand up, and then raised his fist with resolve, and yelled “FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!” to an understandably shaken crowd of supporters.
This was not only a spontaneous act of courage, but a message to the American people: “You need to fight. You need to get off the couch and get active. America, they just tried to murder me. They are coming after you next. Fight like your life and liberty depend on it, because they do!”
In that moment, Trump had no idea how many shooters there were. He had no idea if another bullet would be fired at him. He had no idea how many minutes or even seconds he had left. All he knew was that he may not have long to live and he was going to make it count with courage.
This matters deeply; very deeply. U.S. presidents have always been looked up to as the ones who will save America, but even more so since Trump became a candidate for President of the United States back in 2015. Trump’s response on that fateful Saturday was, in my view, a repudiation of that mindset.
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Americans are simply complacent. Trump’s response in the midst of sheer terror and danger was to boldly yell and gesture to America that we need to stand up, because he cannot do it himself. The President is not supposed to be the only one fighting. America’s survival and success are not exclusively predicated on one man. The health of a nation depends on the people of that nation. Trump told America to stop giving excuses as to why we can’t get involved. He is telling America to fight!
There is no room in American politics for complacency. Furthermore, there is no room in the Church for complacency. Christians have a duty to stand up to the brokenness and corruption. President Trump is calling on all Americans to stand up and fight!
After taking the time to contemplate everything that has transpired, a timely quote from Cicero came to mind. Cicero was a statesman from Rome who provided the world his wisdom in politics just before the fall of Rome. Cicero warned:
“So the opportunity of rescuing the country, whatever the dangers that threaten it, does not come suddenly or when you wish it, but only when you are in a position which allows you to do so. I find this most astonishing in the writings of intellectuals; they plead their inability to steer the ship when the sea is calm, because they have never been taught and have never cared to acquire such knowledge; and they proclaim that they will take the helm when the waves are at their highest!”
Cicero had the insight that men will give excuses to not get involved in the affairs of their community and nation as long as things are mostly okay. Interestingly, those excuses are given, in part, due to their unwillingness to acquire the requisite knowledge because they are focused on their daily activities. Then, when crisis strikes, they are completely unprepared and quickly overwhelmed. But we, the Church, need to be ready. We need to be equipped. We need to be spiritually prepared now.
This is why we educate ourselves on the Constitution and the principles that underpin it. This is why we read God’s word, to spiritually prepare ourselves for the battles in the heavenly places. This, ultimately, is why we fight. If we refuse to fight for our nation now, then tomorrow will most certainly be too late. We need to get on our knees, get to the polls, get off the couch, out of the pew, and fight. The future of our country and the future of our children demands it.
Fight. Fight. FIGHT!