By Timothy D. Naegele[1]

It is a miracle that Donald Trump is alive today, and reason enough to believe in God—like Jesus taught. Those of us who have experienced God became true believers. It did not lessen the challenges in our lives, but it gave us hope even in the darkest of times. “Never give up” became a mantra in our lives.[2]

Yesterday I attended a Catholic church near where some of my family members went to school. My ancestors have been Catholics for more than 175 years, when they came to America from Europe. I go to honor God, not to pay reverence to the “quirks” and rituals of the Catholic Church. And I go because I believe in the right to life, and abhor Infanticide.

Yesterday I kept waiting for the deliverer of the sermon—a Carmelite monk from a nearby retreat—to mention the miracle of Trump’s survival, but he never did. Regardless of how one feels about Trump politically, his survival was nothing short of a miracle.[3] It should inspire others to never give up and to recognize that God lives, and is not some fanciful myth or fairytale.

After the service, I went up to the speaker and told him that he was a disgrace, and should resign from the church. Was he shocked? I didn’t much care. He had “preached” about some regional events in the Catholic Church, and missed an enormous opportunity to convey hope to the congregation in troubled times.[4]

Wars are spreading globally, along with a myriad of senseless crimes, like the attempt on Trump’s life. I remember when John F. Kennedy was killed in Dallas, and his brother Robert was killed in Los Angeles, and Ronald Reagan was shot in Washington, D.C. Like the attack in New York City on 9/11, people will remember the attack on Trump for the rest of their lives.[5]

When bad things happen to good people[6]—like the loss of a cherished child at birth—does that mean God has abandoned them, or disfavors them, or that somehow they are not worthy of blessings and, yes, miracles in their lives? Quite to the contrary. And when Helter Skelter seems to prevail? It may deepen our faith, and belief in God.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not mention my parents, who are my only heroes in life. They weren’t perfect, but they gave and taught me unconditional love. My father admitted one day that he was an agnostic; and my mother’s deep faith gave her the courage to survive illnesses that might have killed her.[7]

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© 2024, Timothy D. Naegele

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[1]  Timothy D. Naegele was counsel to the United States Senate’s Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and chief of staff to Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal recipient and former U.S. Senator Edward W. Brooke (R-Mass).  See, e.g., Timothy D. Naegele Resume-21-8-6  and https://naegeleknol.wordpress.com/accomplishments/   He has an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), as well as two law degrees from the School of Law (Boalt Hall), University of California, Berkeley, and from Georgetown University.  He served as a Captain in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency at The Pentagon, where he received the Joint Service Commendation Medal (see, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commendation_Medal#Joint_Service).  Mr. Naegele is an Independent politically; and he is listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Law, and Who’s Who in Finance and Business. He has written extensively over the years (see, e.g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/articles/ and https://naegeleknol.wordpress.com/articles/), and studied photography with Ansel Adams.  He can be contacted directly at tdnaegele.associates@gmail.com

[2]  See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2010/05/12/what-and-where-is-god/ (“What And Where Is God?”)

[3]  See, e.g., https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13632597/Donald-Trump-shooting-Butler.html (“Single detail in this photo that sums up how close Donald Trump came to death”)

[4]  See, e.g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2010/04/05/the-catholic-church-at-a-crossroads/ (“The Catholic Church At A Crossroads”)

[5]  See, e.g., https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2024/07/14/trump-assassination-lincoln-kennedy/ (“A look at America’s long history of presidential assassination attempts”)

[6]  See, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Bad_Things_Happen_to_Good_People (“When Bad Things Happen to Good People”)

[7]  See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2024/05/12/legacy/ (“Legacy”)