Trump's inauguration and what regular Americans can do

Right now, all eyes are focused on newly inaugurated President Donald Trump and, to a lesser degree, the new 119th US Congress. But in just a few short months, we’ll commemorate one of the greatest moments in our nation’s history.
And, what is that?
The 250th anniversary of “the shot heard round the world.”
This April, two and a half centuries ago, Paul Revere began his midnight ride to warn the Patriots that the British were coming. The next day, April 19, 1775, the Battles of Lexington and Concord began the war that led to our independence.
During that conflict, our Founders penned perhaps the greatest charter of free governance ever written: the Declaration of Independence. It declares that all people “are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
Once the ink dried on Thomas Jefferson’s timeless manifesto, despots who ignored the providential source of liberty would do so at their own peril: The tyrant’s true foe was God.
Echoes of that historic turning point were audible recently as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and newly reelected House Speaker Mike Johnson rang in the 119th Congress. In their remarks, both men invoked the wisdom provided by Providence.
Jeffries promised that Democrats would work with Republicans to uphold the principle of “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Speaker Johnson reminded members that they serve at “a momentous time in the history of our nation” as “stewards of the great American Revolution that began 250 years ago — in 1775 and 1776.”
Johnson added, “We are the ones who settled the West. We are the ones who ended slavery, laid the transcontinental railroad, gave women the right to vote, won two world wars, who landed on the Moon, and won the Cold War. Throughout our history, we have done what no one thought was possible.”
After hearing those speeches, I found myself thumbing through my Bible. My fingers led me to Psalm 119, which offers a perfect benediction for the 119th Congress: “Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. They do no wrong but follow his ways.”
That promise — that honoring the rule of law brings blessings — comes at a vital moment for our nation. Today, both progressive and conservative leaders are warning that long-observed legal boundaries in our society are no longer sacrosanct.
Whether it’s the erosion of norms that support and sustain the peaceful transfer of power, or the lawfare targeting political opponents for prosecution, Democrats and Republicans alike caution that the rule of law is in danger. Long-observed legal guardrails appear to be rapidly disappearing. There’s a growing perception that “justice for all” has been replaced by “the rules are for thee and not for me.”
But with Psalm 119 in mind, it is abundantly clear that if you want to experience providential favor and hope to see your life’s dreams unfold throughout 2025, you should faithfully honor and obey our laws, which are rooted in biblical, Judeo-Christian values. That’s the message of Psalm 119.
Meanwhile, those of us not in high office are told in 1 Timothy 2 to pray “for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”
To be clear, that’s all those in authority — not just the ones whose politics we favor.
As we continue this historic odyssey toward a more perfect union, may the “promise of 119” serve as a lamp to our feet on that journey because history shows that when we do that together, Americans can achieve some pretty amazing things.
Dave Donaldson is co-founder and CEO of the charitable relief organization CityServe International based in Bakersfield, California.