American political mythology often introduces the Founders as secular craftsmen who constructed a democratic republic through sheer Enlightenment grit. Yet any careful reading of their correspondence reveals that these men never imagined a public order severed from divine authority. They lived in a world where appeals to Heaven were considered normal statesmanship. Therefore, the Founders’ view of Jesus Christ held more texture than our contemporary caricatures suggest. Though they rarely employed the vocabulary of Church councils, they affirmed Christ’s kingship in the only way that mattered for statesmen in a perilous young nation: They recognized a transcendent authority above all civil power.

George Washington spoke frequently about Providence with a reverence even modern readers would struggle to dismiss. In his 1783 “Circular Letter to the States,” he wrote, “The establishment of our forms of government must for ever prove the indissoluble union between virtue and happiness, between duty and advantage, between the genuine maxims of an honest and magnanimous policy and the solid rewards of public prosperity.” The structure of this statement assumes a moral order beyond legislatures. Washington referred to Christ directly in a 1789 letter to governors, in which he stated, “The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.” Heaven ordains. Heaven rules. Heaven judges. Washington saw civil authority as answerable to Christ, even if he phrased his conviction with the gentility of an 18th-century gentleman.

John Adams was even more explicit. He declared that “the general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity.” He insisted that the American Republic requires a moral architecture rooted in the Lordship of Christ. His correspondence with Thomas Jefferson included a striking line: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Adams viewed morality through the lens of Christ who alone provides an intelligible account of virtue.

Samuel Adams wrote that Americans place their trust “in God through Jesus Christ.” Patrick Henry went further when he proclaimed, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded…on the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Henry added that the republic needs “no king save Jesus.” These expressions reveal that while the Founders crafted a republic, they never imagined a cosmos lacking a king. For them, Christ’s kingship remains a fact that permeates political life through the demands of the moral law, the rights of conscience, and the expectation that rulers answer to a higher tribunal.

Therefore, ours is a republic that has a king. His name is Jesus Christ. Whether citizens acknowledge this reality has no effect on its truth. Christ reigns over every nation on earth. Some nations embrace this reality slowly. Others resist it vigorously. Yet resistance has no power over reality. Christ governs through the eternal decree of the Father who placed all things under His feet. Consequently, every earthly form of government must conform itself to divine judgment. That includes the republic we inhabit, the politicians who often exasperate us, and the political theatrics that sometimes make early morning coffee feel insufficient.

This brings us, perhaps reluctantly, to President Donald Trump. His complaint this past November that a group of Democratic lawmakers engaged in “seditious behavior” when they urged military officers to refuse “illegal” orders created a spectacle that felt equal parts theatrical and unguarded. His declaration that such actions could be “punishable by death,” followed by repeated posts insisting that these lawmakers were “traitors,” displayed a level of rhetorical abandon that merits analysis. Trump later softened the statement by insisting he referred only to historical precedent. However, prudence in political communication requires a depth of discipline that this episode lacked. Therefore, citizens who value serious governance should be troubled. Leaders occupy an office that includes accountability to Christ the King. Reckless public speech carries consequences. The republic requires clarity from its officeholders, and clarity becomes impossible when public discourse resembles an adrenaline rush rather than a sober articulation of justice.

Nevertheless, we must extend this critique beyond one man. Equal opportunity analysis reveals that the Democratic Party has produced its share of theatrical absurdities as well. The most recent involved the systematic gaslighting of the entire world regarding Joe Biden’s cognitive state. For months we were assured that President Biden thrived with the energy of a marathon runner. Critics were accused of ageism. Yet reports now indicate that he suffered from significant medical decline during his presidency, including cancer and dementia. These conditions apparently remained hidden while a committee of advisors functionally governed on his behalf. The entire ordeal created civic disorientation and diminished trust of government and media. A republic depends on transparency, and transparency dissolves the moment political expediency outweighs honesty.

The modern voter stands in a difficult position. Leaders from both parties frequently display behavior that inspires neither confidence nor admiration. Citizens wonder how to respond when political authority becomes unreliable. The Christian answer emerges through the kingship of Christ. Civil rulers deserve limited obedience — only to the extent they serve justice under the kingship of Jesus. Once they deviate from moral truth, their authority weakens. Scripture teaches that all authority comes from God. Therefore, every elected leader must answer to Christ for the manner in which he governs. Every executive order, every legislative ambition, every judicial ruling, and every public declaration will face divine scrutiny.

Christians must remember that they follow no earthly king in an absolute sense. They follow Christ who alone rules with perfect justice. The history of Christendom reveals that when rulers align themselves with Christ’s law, their realms prosper in peace, charity, and disciplined civic life. When rulers rebel, chaos follows. The divine logic remains consistent across centuries.

Therefore, Christians must guard their souls in the modern information age. Many political voices peddle outrage, conspiracy, confusion, and division because these emotions sell advertisements and secure loyal audiences. Yet these voices rarely cultivate peace. St. Paul assures us that “the peace of Christ surpasses all understanding.” Scripture reminds us that earthly regimes possess limited influence, while eternal authority rests fully in the risen Christ. Paul further proclaims the final destiny of every ruler and every nation: “At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” These words announce the end of political history. Every potentate, tyrant, senator, and president will kneel before a throne that cannot be toppled through elections or term limits.

Finally, we must return to the Founders with fresh clarity. The U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the common-law tradition, and the Magna Carta represent a long tradition shaped through the Christian conviction that divine authority limits earthly rulers. The Magna Carta constrains kings through appeals to justice that originated in Christian theology. The Constitution constrained government through structures that assume human sinfulness. The entire Western legal tradition descends from the Church’s articulation of the divine and natural laws. Therefore, American political order represents an inheritance from the Kingdom of Christ, rather than an innovation of autonomous reason.

Christians must remember their true allegiance. Citizens may vote. Citizens may debate. Citizens may disagree vigorously. Yet citizens must anchor their conscience in Christ the King, whose reign transcends all earthly politics. The world will continue its frantic dramas. Christ will continue His serene rule. And the Church will continue to proclaim the only truth that has the power to steady the soul: Jesus Christ reigns. Every knee shall bow. Every tongue shall confess. Amen