The Founders established the republic, but they could not keep it for us. George Washington’s surrender of power reminds us that liberty survives only when citizens possess the character to practice restraint, accept responsibility, and place the common good above personal ambition. Jesus calls His followers to be salt and light—not withdrawing from public life or seeking domination, but preserving what is good and illuminating what is true. The inheritance is now in our hand

America's greatest crisis is not political, economic, or military. It is a crisis of character. The Founders understood that constitutions can restrain power, but they cannot create virtue. Long before a republic is preserved in its laws, it is preserved in the lives of ordinary citizens who govern themselves according to truth. This week's Founders' Quill invites us to look beyond the headlines—and into the mirror.