Ronald Reagan was elected president when I was in sixth grade, then reelected when I was a sophomore in high school—serving until my sophomore year in college.
In my naiveté, I guess I thought he’d be there forever—either him or, at least, someone much like him. How dreadfully wrong I was.
Reagan’s story has now come back to life on the big screen and reminded us once again of this larger-than-life portrait of Americana.
Now, Reagan is my favorite president, so I readily admit that I am biased, and I am certainly also no movie critic—although I know when a film leaves me bored or inspired. And I thought the Reagan movie was brilliant. Rather than drilling down into one specific incident in Reagan’s presidency, then filling in the story with lots of historical fiction, it spans his entire life, and almost everything it portrays about Reagan (played by Dennis Quaid) is factual. The story is told through the eyes of a former KGB agent (played by Jon Voight) who had been assigned to monitor Reagan since the 1940s and was horrified to watch him ascend to become governor of California, then president of the United States.
The movie is filled with majestic views and does an excellent job of capturing the big, momentous scenes in Reagan’s life while staying very close to the historical reality. And people across the country are flocking to see it.
Everyone, it seems, is thrilled with the movie—save for one group. The critics hate it. They despise it.
And I cannot judge their motives or their hearts, but my guess is that many of them hate the movie because they really hated, and still hate, the man. I doubt that any movie could have been made with a sympathetic portrayal of Reagan’s life or presidency that our depraved culture would appreciate because so many people simply hate almost everything the man stood for.
First and foremost, many people hate his clear moral vision. The movie focuses on Reagan’s obsession with defeating the Soviet Union, winning the Cold War, and keeping America free from the destructive forces of communism. A major influence fueling those passions was Reagan’s childhood faith—instilled in him by his mother. Though he strayed from it many times, it was never far away. The movie does not preach a sermon or even include a clear gospel message, but it also does not shy away from depicting Reagan’s view that God always had a plan for his life—and his mother’s belief that God would use him in a very special way.
Reagan modeled a style of leadership that is no longer palatable in our sensitive society. He was joyous, witty, eloquent, and always sharply dressed—yet he could be ruthless for the sake of goodness and truth. In his passion to excel and achieve his ideals, he might appear strident and harsh. He was a leader you would be drawn to—and one for whom you would also maintain a healthy sense of fear.
I have studied Reagan much in the last few years. Lynnette and I visited the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley, Calif., in 2019. I spent one day touring the museum and a second just relaxing and enjoying the surroundings. I’m fascinated by many of the videos that continue to be produced by both the Reagan Library and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute. There are endless hours of discussion and commentary about Reagan that I’m interested in listening to when I need to hear something relaxing but motivational.
Watching this film reminded me again of the traits I see in Reagan that are also noticeable in several of the Christian leaders who have highly influenced my own life. I do not know that they particularly studied Reagan, or sought to imitate him, or would even agree with me if I shared these reflections with them. Perhaps these are simply attributes that are intrinsic to strong leaders who are committed to the cause of righteousness. They relate to the pursuit of honor, integrity and principle—exhibited in conduct that is befitting of one’s office and purpose.
These are traits that I aspire to exhibit. The culture has deteriorated rapidly since they were in vogue—in a day when serious men spoke and acted and presented themselves in a manner that displayed the depth of their commitments and of their moral gravity. The changing trends we’ve witnessed since have largely been to our societal detriment.
Ronald Reagan was neither a perfect man nor a perfect president. That much he certainly knew, and he trusted in the grace of God alone through the gospel for his eternal hope. I look forward to meeting him one day—not just on the big screen but in heaven—and telling “the Great Communicator” of the impact he made upon my life, even though from a great distance.
Reagan promotes a message that our culture detests. That is exactly what makes it so magnificent.
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Paul J. Scharf (M.A., M.Div., Faith Baptist Theological Seminary) is a church ministries representative for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, based in Columbus, WI, and serving in the Midwest. For more information on his ministry, visit sermonaudio.com/pscharf or foi.org/scharf, or email pscharf@foi.org.