Let’s take a moment to consider the religious affiliations of our chief executives. More of them were Episcopalians than any other denomination - 11 in all - including George Washington. In second place, with 8 presidents, comes the Presbyterian faith. Ronald Reagan was in this group. Donald Trump was raised Presbyterian, but now presents as non-denominational. There’ve been 4 Baptists (Jimmy Carter), 3 Methodists (George W. Bush), 2 Quakers (Richard Nixon), and 2 Catholics (John Kennedy and Joe Biden).
A couple of presidents never officially joined a church - Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. Jefferson is no surprise, being known for his Deist beliefs, a system based on rational thought and revelation through nature. But Lincoln, famous for using scripture references in his speeches more than any other president, is something of a spiritual enigma. An internet search of all the Bible verses he used, and how he used them, would make an interesting self study.
There is a particular verse that speaks to us on this holiday morning - I Peter 2:17 - “Love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the emperor”. And so, on this day, we honor our presidents, and we pray that each of our elected leaders will seek God for wisdom, for strength, and for direction.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
David
cindertex50@yahoo.com
