Because of my father, we are that Shining City on a Hill.

The words of Michael Reagan—“Because of my father, we are that Shining City on a Hill”—resound with the voice of both gratitude and legacy. In them, we hear not only the son honoring the father, but the echo of a vision older than either—a vision born from faith, courage, and destiny. His father, Ronald Reagan, often spoke of America as the “Shining City on a Hill,” borrowing the phrase from the Puritan leader John Winthrop, who in 1630 proclaimed that a godly people must live as an example before the nations. Thus, when Michael Reagan speaks these words, he does not merely praise his father; he places him among those who have carried forward the ancient torch of hope—the belief that a people guided by virtue and freedom can become a light to the world.

The phrase “Shining City on a Hill” has its roots in Scripture, in the Gospel of Matthew: “A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Winthrop used it to describe the early settlers’ dream that their new community in the wilderness would stand as a beacon of righteousness. Centuries later, Ronald Reagan revived it, breathing into it new meaning for a modern age. To him, it was not only a call to moral integrity but to optimism—the conviction that America, through its ideals of liberty and opportunity, could still serve as a model for humanity. When Michael Reagan said, “Because of my father, we are that Shining City,” he declared that his father’s vision and leadership rekindled that ancient flame, turning an idea into a living reality once more.

Yet beneath the grandeur of the words lies something intimate—a son’s recognition of heritage and example. Michael does not claim the light as his own; he gives credit to the one who carried it before him. This humility mirrors the wisdom of the ancients, who taught that greatness is not inherited but transmitted through influence. Just as the Greeks revered the teacher who passed on knowledge to the student, so too does the son honor the father who gave him a moral compass. To say, “Because of my father,” is to acknowledge that the shining city begins not in governments or empires, but in the home—in the example of a single man who lived with conviction, who believed in the goodness of his fellow beings, and who dared to hope when others despaired.

In this way, Michael Reagan’s tribute stands as more than remembrance—it is a reflection of the timeless bond between generation and legacy. Every civilization that has endured has done so because one generation carried light to the next. The philosopher Marcus Aurelius, himself the son of a noble lineage, wrote that what he learned from his father was not wealth, but the love of truth, justice, and simplicity. So too did Ronald Reagan, though a man of politics, pass down ideals that were spiritual before they were political. His “Shining City” was not made of marble and steel, but of faith and decency, the shared belief that mankind, though flawed, is capable of goodness.

To the ancients, the image of the city upon a hill would have symbolized the polis of virtue—a place where wisdom ruled and where citizens lived by honor. To the modern heart, it symbolizes the hope that humanity can still rise above its divisions and darkness. When Michael Reagan says, “We are that Shining City,” he does not mean America alone; he speaks for all who strive to live by higher principles. The shining city exists wherever people walk in the light of truth, build in justice, and serve in love. It is not a place on a map, but a state of being—a light that each generation must keep alive.

Consider the example of Pericles, the great leader of Athens, who once declared that his city was “the school of Greece.” He spoke not of walls or armies, but of the spirit of his people—their courage, creativity, and civic virtue. Centuries later, Reagan would echo this same faith, believing that the true strength of a nation lies not in its power, but in its character. Michael Reagan’s words thus become a bridge across time, linking ancient Athens, Puritan New England, and modern America in a single truth: that a people’s greatness is measured by the light they reflect to the world.

So, dear listener, take this teaching to heart: each of us carries within us a spark of that Shining City. The light of virtue, the courage of faith, the strength of example—these are not gifts reserved for leaders, but responsibilities bestowed upon all. Let your life be guided by integrity, as Reagan’s was; let your words build, not destroy; and let your actions illuminate the path for those who come after you. The world hungers for such light, and it begins not in power, but in the quiet steadfastness of the soul.

Thus, the wisdom of Michael Reagan’s words is twofold: it honors the father who built with faith, and it calls upon every son and daughter to continue that work. For the “Shining City on a Hill” is not the achievement of one man or one nation—it is the eternal labor of all who believe that goodness can prevail. And so long as we live by that belief—so long as we keep our lights burning—we too will belong to that City, radiant and unforgotten, gleaming forever against the dark.