Hillsdale College President Larry P. Arnn and the Hillsdale College Chamber Choir participated in the Rededicate 250 gathering on May 17 in Washington, D.C. Dr. Arnn spoke on President Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, given during the Civil War, which he said can help the nation in its present perilous times.
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Hillsdale College President Larry P. Arnn speaks at Rededicate 250.
“We know that we live in serious times because the Declaration of Independence itself is controversial,” Dr. Arnn said. “Its meaning is contested or repudiated, and its authors are condemned. This very meeting is criticized as an attempt to turn America into a Christian nation. The Declaration says that under the laws of nature and nature’s God, no human being may rule another without his consent.”
Dr. Arnn said that through prayer and by remembering the principles behind Lincoln’s words, the nation can unite again in civil friendship.
“We will know that our divisions are healing when we remember our purpose and take responsibility together. The solution is not to shout at each other. It is to forget about ourselves and study again the things that can guide us,” Dr. Arnn said. “Let us pray about our divisions today. Let us remember our suffering, remember its meaning, and rekindle our friendship.”
The event anticipated the 250th anniversary of the United States with a national day of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. Thousands gathered on the National Mall to give thanks for God’s Providence, ask for his guidance, and rededicate America as one nation under God.
Following Dr. Arnn’s remarks, the chamber choir performed “God Be in My Head,” “America the Beautiful,” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
“It was exciting for our choir students to be a part of something this big and this historic,” said Professor of Music James A Holleman, director of orchestras and choirs. “It’s a memory they’ll share for the rest of their lives — as choir members, as Hillsdale students, and as Americans.”
The chamber choir also performed Moses Hogan’s “Hear My Prayer” following Dr. Ben Carson’s remarks and “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” after remarks from Bishop Robert Barron.
Other speakers included Speaker Mike Johnson, Secretary Marco Rubio, Secretary Pete Hegseth, Franklin Graham, and Eric Metaxas.
A recording of a poem from Matthew Mehan’s forthcoming book “The American Book of Fables” was played during the program. Mehan serves as associate dean and associate professor of government at Hillsdale’s Van Andel Graduate School of Government in Washington, D.C.
Hillsdale College also provided content and curricular materials for the Freedom Truck mobile museums touring the country as part of America250 and partnered with the White House and the Department of Education to create the Story of America video series. Matthew Spalding, Hillsdale’s vice president for Washington operations, serves as a senior academic advisor for America250 projects.
For more information about Rededicate 250, click here. For a recording of the whole Rededicate 250 gathering, click here. For a recording of Dr. Arnn’s remarks, click here. For a recording of the Hillsdale College Chamber Choir performance, click here. For the video featuring Mehan’s poem, click here. For photos from Rededicate 250, click here. For a headshot of Dr. Arnn, click here. For photos of Hillsdale College, click here. For a high-resolution copy of the Hillsdale College clocktower logo, click here.
About Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College is an independent, nonsectarian, Christian liberal arts college located in southern Michigan. Founded in 1844, the College has built a national reputation through its classical liberal arts core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies, even indirectly in the form of student grants or loans. It also conducts an outreach effort promoting civil and religious liberty, including a free monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a circulation of more than 7.5 million. For more information, visit hillsdale.edu.
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