Of all the ridiculous things the Trump administration has done so far, the one that concerns me the most is the creation of a White House Faith Office.
I’m a Christian who strives to demonstrate God’s love through words and actions. Though not perfect, I live out my faith the way I choose. That’s one of the beautiful things about the separation of church and state enshrined in the First Amendment.
Christian nationalists wish for America to be a “Christian nation” — in fact, they believe that it already is. However, the work of Christians is not accomplished by nations. It’s accomplished through believers who look to Jesus’ teachings as the blueprint for how to live and relate to others and God’s creation.
If Trump and his Christian nationalist followers seriously wanted America to be a Christian nation, that would be a good place to start — not with xenophobia, racism, environmental terrorism, hatred of “the other,” lies, greed and all the other decidedly un-Christian behaviors we’ve seen so far.
People are also reading…
Robert Holland.
Midlothian.
From the Archives: Monumental Church
Monumental Church on East Broad Street was built in 1814 as a memorial to those killed in the 1811 Richmond Theater fire. This fire killed 72 people including Virginia’s governor. That night, nearly 600 people had filled the theater for a post-Christmas day performance which was a local highlight of the holiday season. However, disaster struck when a chandelier was raised into the rafters before it was completely extinguished and in mere minutes, the building was consumed by flames.
The building was designed by Robert Mills, America’s first native-born architect and the only architectural pupil of Thomas Jefferson, according to the Historic Richmond Foundation which owns the building today. Mills won a competition to construct the memorial in 1812. The 70-foot octagonal auditorium was accentuated with Roman, Greek and Egyptian motifs and funerary imagery. The Richmond church is considered the most elaborate example of the four domed churches that Mills designed during his career. Nationally, it is considered one of the earliest and best examples of Greek Revival.
In June 1986, Historic Richmond Foundation leader John G. Zehmer Jr. (center left) reviewed roof plans with architect Kenneth MacIlroy at Monumental Church on East Broad Street in Richmond. The historic church, built as a memorial to those killed in the 1811 Richmond Theatre fire, was getting a new copper roof as a step toward preserving the building.
![A1 Minute! February 18, 2025: Making a difference, helping people find homes; Black-owned culinary brands show appreciation for community support; TJ’s Gough fast becoming top football recruit[A1]](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/richmond.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/9e/79e55f13-8aa7-5d84-bb67-dfac3f5d6db6/67b484a7da26e.image.jpg)