My busy schedule of legal practice, political activism, my duties as president of the National Rifle Association, and other related matters leave me, like many of my colleagues, with very little time for spiritual matters. So I was extremely grateful to a friend who invited me to attend the unveiling last week in New York City of one of the most beautiful works of religious art I have ever seen — the Ark of the Covenant, made as faithfully as possible to Biblical standards and dimensions.

Just getting to see these stunningly beautiful, gold-adorned artifacts up close was worth the trip to New York, but it was the speakers that really made the evening worthwhile.

Many of the presenters, including many rabbis and biblical scholars, including Ralph Reed, founder of the Christian Coalition and current president of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, were (at least in my experience) more moving and thought-provoking than any presentation or essay by a modern political leader (with the possible exception of some of Ronald Reagan's speeches, including his second inaugural address in which he described the “American Sound”).

It was truly refreshing to step away from the politics and controversy of the day and spend a few hours contemplating important issues that go far beyond such current events. The closest thing to politics, oratorically, at last Wednesday night's celebration was gratitude for the United States of America, particularly its support for the creation of the State of Israel 76 years ago and its continued support every year since, and especially for President Trump's bold decision, in defiance of naysayers and doomsayers within his administration, to move the U.S. Embassy from its permanent location in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

More broadly and historically, the speakers offered heartfelt praise for the United States, primarily for being uniquely founded as a nation in which civil power ultimately resides with the people. Indeed, in accordance with the principles of self-government enshrined in our founding documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, Americans have the power to change not only the participants in our government, but the very structure of our government, if we deem it to be failing in its core mission of protecting us. Individual freedom.

This position was clearly and proudly expressed by the rabbis and endorsed by former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Ralph Reed, whose 15-minute presentation demonstrated why, almost 30 years after he founded the Christian Coalition in 1995, he remains a highly sought-after speaker at major events across the political and religious spectrum.

As multiple speakers at the event rightly pointed out, our Founding Fathers used their knowledge of civic, political, and governmental history to create the tripartite representative system under which the United States operates today but which few Americans fully understand. One of the earliest systems of civic and political participation, as understood by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Thomas Paine and others, was a system that saw the Israelites seek liberation from Egyptian tyrants and establish the norm that citizens could and should govern themselves according to the ethical and moral standards set by their Creator.

Centuries after the Jews carried the Ark of the Covenant into battle in defense of freedom, and just 233 years after the Bill of Rights was ratified, the continued adherence of both the United States and Israel to that moral tradition is a continuing testament to the virtues espoused by our Founding Fathers and one of their leaders, Moses. We must never forget that.

Bob Barr represented Georgia's 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. He served as the U.S. Attorney in Atlanta from 1986 to 1990 and was a CIA officer in the 1970s. He currently practices law in Atlanta, Georgia, and serves as director of Liberty Guard.

The views and opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Daily Caller.