In recent days, the Bible has suddenly become a topic of conversation in American politics.
On June 1, 2020, following a Rose Garden press conference in which he called for the U.S. Armed Forces to help to quell civil unrest in the United States, President Donald Trump walked to nearby St. John’s Church; sadly, the church—which was built in 1815—was set on fire during recent rioting in the nation’s capital. Outside the church, the President posed for pictures while holding a Bible.
The President’s decision to pose with a Bible was deemed controversial by some. However, the controversy resulted in other elected officials paying renewed attention to the Bible. On June 2, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a press conference of her own, urging the President to act as a “‘healer in chief.’” The House Speaker brought a Bible along, referencing Ecclesiastes 3:3 (“a time to heal”).
Former Vice President Joe Biden also weighed in, commenting, “‘I just wish [Trump] opened [the Bible] once in a while instead of brandishing it. If he opened it, he could have learned something.’”
On June 3, Gov. Andrew Cuomo got involved in the Bible controversy. The Governor said, “‘The president held up the Bible the other day in Washington, D.C. Here in New York, we actually read the Bible.’” Gov. Cuomo proceeded to quote five passages of Scripture—mainly focusing on themes of peace—during his daily briefing.
In Isaiah 55:11, the Lord says, “[My word] shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Regardless of the intentions of those who quote Scripture, the Lord can still use His Word to change the hearts of men and women. At New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, it is our hope that the recent Bible-related controversy will cause Americans to become curious about the Bible, read it for themselves, discover that Christ died for their sins, and accept Him as Savior.