Christ has risen from the basement of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that a long-cherished painting of “Christ on the Water” has been restored and returned to its rightful place of prominence at the Academy in Kings Point, New York.
“I want to thank Secretary Duffy for his continued support of our Academy and the midshipmen who call this place home,” said U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Acting Superintendent Captain Tony Ceraolo. “Our purpose today is to preserve a piece of the Academy’s cultural and historical legacy. We honor the past and the resilience of those who came before us. This painting is about history, remembrance, and hope ensuring that the story of our midshipmen and their wartime experiences remain part of our shared institutional memory.”
The painting depicts Jesus guiding sailors adrift in a lifeboat – safely guiding the through the storm waters – painted some 80 years ago by the famed painter Lt. Hunter Wood.
The Biden Administration removed the historic painting — saying it offended people and was unconstitutional. For years it was left abandoned in a basement room.
Secretary Duffy issued a statement:
“Burying this historic painting in the basement wasn’t just a mistake—it was an insult to the faith and legacy of service that built this Academy and our nation.’ By restoring ‘Christ on the Water’ to its rightful place, we sent a clear message to our midshipmen: their Christian faith is a virtue to be proud of, not something to be censored.”
The Merchant Marines are no doubt elated that the Trump Administration resurrected the painting of Jesus.
Syndicated with permission from ToddStarnes.com – founded by best-selling author and journalist Todd Starnes. Starnes is the recipient of an RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award and the Associated Press Mark Twain Award for Storytelling.