Leaders from every state are at each other’s throats! Are they arguing over the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act or funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)?

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Nope. Those tensions won’t rise for 239 years. The heated debates comprise the first scene of A Great Awakening, opening nationwide on April 3. At issue in the Constitutional Congress of 1787 is the power dynamic between large and small states. That will soon be solved by creating the House of Representatives (with the number of representatives based on population) and the Senate (with two senators for every state, regardless of size). Though it isn’t featured in this film, we know from The American Miracle Expanded that eight of the 13 states wanted to abolish slavery, which also caused much contentious chatter.

But as A Great Awakening opens, there’s no hope in sight.

That’s exactly where we are today with the SAVE America Act and funding DHS.

Where does the SAVE America Act stand?

On March 26, every single Senate Democrat voted against an amendment to the SAVE America Act clarifying requirements for ID to vote in national elections. The Act, which 84% of Americans think is a great idea, got 53 votes, but required 60 to pass.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) revealed the Democratic position in recent comments. He said he’s concerned illegal aliens won’t know until they show up at the polls that they can’t vote (confirming the Democrat reliance upon illegal voting). He also added that women who change their names won’t know that they need to register with their new names.

Let’s pray Democrats set aside these ridiculous excuses and protect our elections!

We reported on the possibility of passing the SAVE America Act through reconciliation, which would not require the 60-vote threshold. Let’s continue to pray for wisdom for our leadership on that front.

The bill is on hold until the Senate resumes on April 13.

Where does funding for DHS stand?

On Friday, when DHS employees, including those working for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), had gone without pay for more than six weeks, President Trump ordered TSA agents to be paid.

President Trump pointed out:

[They] are not being paid due to congressional Democrats’ reckless decision to prioritize criminal illegal aliens over American citizens and shut down DHS until their demand to prohibit enforcement of Federal immigration law is met.

He wrote, “I have determined that these circumstances constitute an emergency situation compromising the Nation’s security.”

Senate Democrats blocked DHS funding to make a point about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which ironically is funded through 2029 through a prior legislative action.

Border czar Tom Homan said, “Your heart goes out to [TSA workers] because they’re sitting there right now, working very hard and not being paid, while members of Congress are now on vacation — are getting paid.”

Payments to TSA through the Executive Order started on Monday.

Last Friday, the Senate passed a bill funding the DHS but not ICE. When the bill went to the House that evening, House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected it, calling it “a joke.” Mr. Johnson and other House Republicans object to uncoupling the DHS and ICE. Such an action can make securing ICE funding difficult in the future, as well as set the stage to shut down the agency entirely.

On Sunday, Mr. Homan urged Congress to fund the DHS, saying:

After all, we’re talking about the Department of Homeland Security in a time [when] we have a heightened threat posture right now in this country because of what’s going on in the world. This should be the last thing they’re fighting over funding for.

What’s the solution?

Dutch Sheets had a great one: “Only God’s power, released through a third great awakening, can save and transform our nation.”

Turns out we know what a great awakening can look like, and the film A Great Awakening gives us an in-depth look at how the first one happened in America.

Joshua Enck was planning to write and direct a film about liberty to celebrate our SuperCentennial, and it was going to be about George Washington. As Mr. Enck shared at the film’s New York City premiere, he later heard from the Lord: “You’ve got liberty right. You got your Georges wrong.”

Mr. Enck’s research led him to the strong friendship between George Whitefield and Benjamin Franklin. Rev. Whitefield (played by Jonathan Blair, who also worked on the script) was a lightning bolt of the First Great Awakening. Mr. Franklin (John Paul Sneed) used his printing press to get the word out about Rev. Whitefield’s speaking engagements.

During the contentious opening scene at the Constitutional Congress, Alexander Hamilton (Josh Bates) asks Rep. Franklin why he keeps silent in the turmoil, to which the Representative of Pennsylvania draws from his own Poor Richard’s Almanack, “He that speaks much is much mistaken.”

George Washington (Russell Dean Schultz) visits Mr. Franklin and his grandson Benny Franklin Bache (JT Schaeffer) at home that night. General Washington (two years before being elected our first President) points out that the need to bring peace into the proceedings is for Benny, his children, and his grandchildren.

General Washington pushes his old friend to do his part in helping bring the states back to unity.

Looking for inspiration for his grandfather, Benny stumbles across the journals of Rev. Whitefield, which stimulate the senior Franklin’s memories of his friendship with the powerful preacher. The film argues that each man was a founding father: Mr. Franklin politically and Rev. Whitefield spiritually.

Rev. Whitefield plants many gospel seeds in the skeptical mind of the publisher, and they bear fruit in the closing scene. Mr. Enck gave me permission to share this spoiler: Rep. Franklin shares the entirety of his speech to Congress, calling them to start each day with prayer.

Let’s pray our Congress of today will appeal just as earnestly to Heaven for their solutions.

When I looked up what had happened in my zip code on IFA’s American Spiritual Heritage Project, it had this story: “George Whitefield preached throughout New York City during the Great Awakening, drawing massive crowds and sparking spiritual revival.” You can find out more by searching for Zip code 10036 (and many others, I’m sure, since he spoke live to 80% of the population of the colonies) at TheAmericanSpiritualHeritageProject.com.

Mr. Blair, Mr. Bates, and Katie Miller, head of Sight & Sound’s film division, attended the New York City premiere of A Great Awakening. According to Ms. Miller, the Sight & Sound team members believe the film is “a part of what God is already doing throughout the country.”

Mr. Enck and Mr. Blair fielded questions from the audience afterward, and they all did brief interviews, which you can see below:

Here’s the trailer:

Let’s keep praying!

• May the SAVE America Act be passed soon!
• May DHS be fully funded, including ICE!
• May A Great Awakening do well at the box office!
• May many be inspired to live in revival and pray for awakening!

Add your prayers in the comments below.

Rich Swingle has presented in 42 nations on six continents, mostly with his own one-man plays. He plays George Whitfield in Star Spangled Adventures, and two of his acting students are in A Great Awakening. Rich and his bride Joyce Swingle have 41 screen children. The Swingles live in New York City. www.RichDrama.com. Photo Credit: Canva Teams.