The Spiritual Legacy of Ronald Reagan
Pastor John Lee
Why should we be interested in the recollection of his life? Patriotism in American became acceptable again. Under his influence, the communist country of the Soviet Union collapsed without a single shot fired. What most do not realize is how influential was his faith. Faith in God was openly welcomed once again.
Michael Reagan, oldest (and adopted) son of President Reagan, noted his father’s faith in his eulogy: “Last Saturday (June 5), when my father opened his eyes for the last time, and visualized Nancy and gave her such a wonderful, wonderful gift. When he closed his eyes, that's when I realized the gift that he gave to me, the gift that he was going to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He had, back in 1988 on a flight from Washington, D.C., to Point Mugu, told me about his love of God, his love of Christ as his Savior. I didn't know then what it all meant. But I certainly, certainly know now.”
The influence of a godly parent. As a candidate in the 1980 campaign for president, a Christian minister named D. James Kennedy interviewed him. He asked one important question. “If your were to die and stand before God and He were to say to you, ‘Why should I let you into My Heaven?’ what would you say?” Reagan paused for over half a minute… a long time for a politician! He said, “I don’t deserve to go to heaven. The only thing that I could say would be, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Politicians often cite God when they campaign or need a boost in a public opinion poll. So why would this man be any different? His faith formed his convictions that in turn affected his vision for America. His dad, Jack, was a Roman Catholic. His mom, Nelle, was a Protestant in a small denomination called the Disciples of Christ. He trusted in Christ as Savior while a teenager and maintained his profession of his faith. From his parents, he learned to unite Protestant America with the Catholic Church in a plan to bring down the Iron Curtain of Communism.
Though his father was not the best example, his mother became his role model. She was loyal to her husband in bad times and was compassionate to the poor and helpless. Her Christian faith moved her to visit sick people in hospitals or special care centers for tuberculosis patients. She visited people, bringing snacks and Scriptures. She also showed hospitality to visitors or others in need, including hitchhikers. She meticulously tithed what little they had, believing that God would provide and protect her family.
The impact of dedicating your life to God. One pastor challenged Reagan to speak out against the dangers of communism, especially with its denial of the existence of God or atheism. When Reagan viewed communism not merely as an economic or a political threat, but as a spiritual battle, he was convicted to do whatever he could to end the “evil empire.” He understood what Dostoyevsky said, “If God does not exist, everything is permissible.” Our culture would do well to remember these words. While many actors of his day professed belief in communism, he would oppose communism throughout his acting and political careers. Many critics considered his frequent references to God as a way to attract religious voters. But even in death, when he was not forced to be religious, he left a testimony of faith in God.
He and his wife did not attend church regularly either before or while he served as President of the United States. Nevertheless he expressed his commitment to his home church by regularly sending his offerings, even though he had moved away. He was also concerned for the welfare of the local congregation after an assassination attempt early in his first term. Michael Reagan recalls a conversation with his father, “It was Easter Week in the last year of his presidency, and he looked at me and he counted out 'nine' on his fingers. I asked what that meant, and he said: ‘Michael, it will be nine more months when I will be able to feel the freedom once again to go to church each and every Sunday. You know, Michael, ever since I was shot I have worried about putting other people in harm’s way by being among them, so I haven’t been to church on a regular basis and even though I have offered my presidency up to God I haven’t been with God on Sundays. That’s what I’m looking forward to.’”
Surviving the assassination attempt taught him that God had a purpose for his life. He realized he survived only by divine intervention. The bullet missed his heart by inches. When doctors later removed it, others discovered that it was a very destructive bullet called a Devastator. It was supposed to explode upon penetration, scattering shrapnel inside the victim. Reagan wrote during his recuperation, “Whatever happens now I owe my life to God and will try to serve him every way I can.”
The interest in spiritual welfare of his family and country. Reagan wanted to see others place faith in Christ and often worried that his younger son, Ron Jr., had not accepted Christ. As a teenager, he refused to attend church. Reagan complained to Mikhail Gorbachev about it at a summit meeting. Unknown to many citizens was the fact that he was a man of prayer. “Biographer Edmund Morris said his firm memory of Reagan was the president sitting alone mumbling to himself. Morris was surprised to learn that he was talking to God.”
Rev. Jerry Falwell recalls the concerns that President Reagan expressed at a 1984 prayer breakfast. “Without God, there is no virtue, because there’s no prompting of the conscience. Without God, we’re mired in the material, that flat world that tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a coarsening of the society. And without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure. If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”
Unfortunately, many people in this country, and even in some churches, have forgotten that we’re one nation under God, citing an often misunderstood notion of separation of church and state. Reagan is like many of the nation’s founding Fathers who were devoted Christians. George Washington, the first president of this nation, who also kept diaries and prayer journals said, “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” John Adams, second U.S. president, wrote to Thomas Jefferson about the founding Fathers who sought independence for the nation, “The general principles, on which the Fathers achieved independence, were the only Principles in which that beautiful Assembly of young Gentlemen could unite…And what were these general Principles? I answer, the general Principles of Christianity…” Thomas Jefferson, third U.S. president, whom many cite as an opponent to Christianity and mixing it with the government, wrote a letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush, also a signer of the Declaration of Independence, “My views…are the result of a life of inquiry and reflection, and very different from the anti-Christian system imputed to me by those who know nothing of my opinions. To the corruptions of Christianity I am, indeed, opposed; but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian in the only sense in which he wished any one to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines in preference to all others…”
Love for enemies. Former Prime Minister of Great Britain, Margaret Thatcher offered a eulogy at the funeral of President Reagan. As close friends, she recalls his attitude after the assassination attempt - “Whatever time I’ve got left now belongs to the Big Fella upstairs.” She recognized that his life was providential. On defeating the Soviet Union she noted, “Others hoped, at best, for an uneasy cohabitation with the Soviet Union; he won the Cold War – not only without firing a shot, but also by inviting enemies out of their fortress and turning them into friends.
What a blessing it is to have leaders who don’t clamor for attention or glory but instead lift people up to the God who is the sovereign Savior. God honors those who honor Him. President Reagan did not return insult when insulted by his many critics. He used his words to inspire and to lift people up to higher standards. Instead of compromising, he stood upon his convictions. He was not merely a great communicator. He had a message that reflected faith in God and what could be accomplished if we trusted in God and His providence. This is a faithful servant who has entered into the joy of His Lord.