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Watch: Trump Quotes Gospel of John, Tells Audience 'You're Right' as They Cheer Jesus' Name at Nat'l Christmas Tree Lighting

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Thursday night saw the lighting of the national Christmas tree from the White House by President Donald Trump along with First Lady Melania Trump.

Although this tradition has been going on for more than 100 years, Trump’s speech at the ceremony was an exceptional one for our time.

The president did not provide an anodyne message of “thankfulness” or “holiday cheer.” He decided to correctly focus the attention of the crowd on one true reason for Christmas — our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

“During this holy season, Christians everywhere rejoice at the miracle in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago when the Son of God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, came down from Heaven to be with us,” the president said to cheers.

In response to the cheering crowd, he gave a simple, “you’re right.”

“Full of grace and truth, he brought the gift of God’s love into the world and the promise of salvation for every person and every nation,” he said, mentioning the recent news of a peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

U.S. News reported that the deal was signed that day by Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi.

Trump then quoted directly from the Gospel of John.

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind,” Trump said.

“With the birth of Jesus, human history turned from night to day,” he added.

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“His word and his example call us to love one another and to serve one another and to honor the sacred truth that every child is specially made in the image of God.”

It is an understatement to call Trump’s unashamed admission of Christ our Savior and our only true focus at Christmas time refreshing.

Public officials are usually keener to walk on eggshells, providing a benign message to the American people.

As former President John Adams wrote in 1798, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

There is no question Adams was talking about a Christian people.

Whether it be the Anglicans, the Puritans, or several other Christian denominations, the religious history of this country began with Christianity.

We need more champions for Christ in office.

We need more of our officials to stop shying away from the greatness of our Lord.

Christmas is the appropriate occasion for such an invocation, but it should not be the only one.

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Sam Short is an Instructor of History with Motlow State Community College in Smyrna, Tennessee. He holds a BA in History from Middle Tennessee State University and an MA in History from University College London. The views expressed in his articles are his own and do not reflect the views or opinions of Motlow State Community College.




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