[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 16, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4979-S4985]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
58TH ANNUAL NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST
Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I had the privilege of co-chairing the
58th Annual National Prayer Breakfast with Senator Klobuchar. I ask
unanimous consent that a copy of the transcript of the 2010 National
Prayer Breakfast proceedings be printed in the Congressional Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
58th National Prayer Breakfast
Senator Amy Klobuchar: Good morning, everyone. I am Amy
Klobuchar, the Senator from Minnesota. Welcome to the 58th
annual National Prayer Breakfast. For anyone from warmer
climates, we know it is a little snowy, but in Minnesota we
would call this, ``fair to partly cloudy.'' What a gathering.
This is a very different scene from the first National Prayer
Breakfast all the way back in 1952--that was attended only by
a couple hundred people and they were all men. And now what
we have today is over 3,000 people from all 50 states and
over 140 countries. Although the National Prayer Breakfast
may look a lot different than it did in 1952, one of the
great traditions of this event is that it is bipartisan, as
you can see from our head table up here, as well as the fact
that we have a Democratic and a Republican co-chair. In that
tradition, I am very proud to introduce to you my Republican
co-chair and good friend, the Senator from Georgia, Johnny
Isakson.
Senator Johnny Isakson: Thank you. We do welcome you
because what began as a very small group in 1952 has become a
group that has influence around the world in countries all
over this world. We are so delighted that you traveled near
and you travelled far to be a part of the National Prayer
Breakfast here in the United States of America. Amy and I are
both members of the Senate but one important thing to know is
that we alternate years--this happened to be the Senate's
year to chair the National Prayer Breakfast. But next year,
the House will as well. We do so in partnership, we do so in
brotherhood, and we do so in love, and we do so in faith. I
now want to begin by introducing my side of the head table,
and then Amy will introduce her side of the head table.
First, the Vice President of the United States of America,
Joe Biden; the Secretary of State of the United States of
America, Hillary Rodham Clinton; the distinguished Senator
from the state of Utah, Orrin Hatch; the luckiest thing that
ever happened to me 41 years ago, my wife, Dianne; the
distinguished senior Senator from the state of Oregon, Ron
Wyden; the co-chair of the House prayer breakfast, from
Missouri, Representative Todd Akin; a lady who has the voice
of an angel and later you will hear her sing, God Bless
America, Sergeant First Class MaryKay Messenger, the lead
vocalist of the United States Military Academy Band; and my,
friend and the artist who will sing the closing hymn, Ralph
Freeman.
Senator Klobuchar: Johnny put the music together this
morning and you are going to love it. President Obama and the
First Lady will be joining us shortly; His Excellency Jose
Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the Prime Minister of Spain is with
us; my husband, John Bessler who made our daughter's lunch at
5:30 this morning while I was getting ready for this; Admiral
Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; 2007
Heisman Trophy winner, Tim Tebow; the co-chair of the House
prayer breakfast, Representative Charlie Wilson of Ohio; and
the Heisman Trophy winner of Senate chaplains, Rear Admiral
Barry Black.
Johnny and I wanted you all to hear this morning from our
friend, Senate Chaplain, Barry Black, who like all Senate
chaplains since 1789 opens each session of the Senate with a
prayer. To me and Johnny, Barry is a friend and a spiritual
adviser but he is also an embodiment of the power of faith
and discipline and hard work. From his impoverished childhood
in Baltimore to his distinguished 27-year career in the U.S.
Navy, to his service in the Senate, Chaplain Black's ``only
in America'' story, a story he has detailed so eloquently in
his book, From the
[[Page S4980]]
Hood to the Hill, shows us that God has great plans for our
lives. It is my pleasure to introduce to you our friend,
Chaplain Barry Black, who will lead us in the opening prayer.
Rear Admiral Barry Black: Let us lift our hearts in prayer.
Lord of life, the giver of every good and perfect gift. You
have been our help in ages past and our hope for years to
come. Lord, forgive us when we forget that more things are
wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. We thank you for
this nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the
proposition that people possess basic rights that they
receive from you. Make us good global neighbors as we
remember that righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a
reproach to any people. Hear our petitions and use our
supplications to change and shape our times according to your
plan. May our prayers empower us to trust you more fully,
live for you more completely and serve you more willingly. In
a special way, smile upon our international guests who have
travelled great distances to be with us, give them traveling
mercies as they return home. And Lord, shower your favor upon
the program participants, especially our primary presenter.
May the words of their mouths and the meditations of their
hearts bring honor to you. Bless this morning, our food and
fellowship. We pray this in the matchless name of Jesus.
Amen.
Senator Isakson: Would you please welcome to your right,
Mr. Robert Fraumann, the most gifted musician the United
Methodist Church has ever known and enjoy his mix of
Beethoven's ``Fifth Symphony'' and ``How Great Thou Art'' and
``The Warsaw Concerto'' and ``To God Be the Glory.'' Robert
Fraumann.
Mr. Robert Fraumann: (piano music)
Narrator: Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United
States Barack Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama.
Senator Klobuchar: Welcome, Mr. President, Mrs. Obama. We
are so pleased to have you here. I also know there are many
members from the House of Representatives. I see Speaker
Pelosi. And from the United States Senate and the President's
Cabinet--if they could all stand so we could acknowledge you.
Thank you. Mr. President, you should know that Johnny, being
from Georgia, is really adjusting to the fact that this
breakfast had quiche instead of grits. So I really don't know
how he is going to explain that when he gets home. And
actually, Johnny has been a great pal for me this year as a
co-chair of the Senate prayer breakfast and I can tell you
that to show his support for his co-chair, he actually
supported the Vikings over the Saints in the playoff game.
That was a tough game. My fourth quarter prayers made no
difference but not even God can overrule a ref's calls.
Senator Isakson: You know I ain't real sure it was the
refs. It might have been Brett Farve's interception.
Senator Klobuchar: Very good.
Senator Isakson: We are honored to be here today and I am
honored to share with Amy, the co-chairmanship of the Senate
prayer breakfast. She thinks getting me to pull for the
Vikings was the ultimate reconciliation, not true. Ultimate
reconciliation is when Senator Bill Nelson convinced me to
invite the quarterback of the Florida Gators, who beat us
four successive years at the University of Georgia. Tim,
welcome, we are glad to have you. This is a great occasion
and we are so delighted and honored that all of you are here
today. And I am going to turn it back over to our leader, Amy
Klobuchar.
Senator Klobuchar: Thank you. Each week Johnny and I and
our fellow senators get together for a weekly Senate prayer
breakfast. I always come away from it a better person. At our
breakfasts, a senator always speaks, sometimes about his or
her faith, sometimes about a personal struggle, sometimes
about the challenges of forgiveness after a tough political
fight. Our prayer breakfasts are always real and refreshingly
honest. And just when I am ready to give up on working with
maybe a few of my colleagues, it reminds me that we all share
a common purpose and a common humanity, and that with faith
and forgiveness, we can start anew. Now it is my honor today
to introduce Sergeant First Class MaryKay Messenger, the lead
vocalist with the United States Military Academy Band.
MaryKay first sang with the band in 1980 at the age of
twelve. She continued throughout the years as a guest
vocalist until she joined the Army in 1996. She has performed
throughout the world--everywhere from Beijing to the opening
bell of the New York Stock Exchange, from Yankee Stadium to
Carnegie Hall. This morning she will be singing ``God Bless
America,'' a song composed by Irving Berlin during the First
World War while he was serving in a United States Army camp.
MaryKay Messenger.
Sgt. MaryKay Messenger: [Singing]
While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.
God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Through the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.
God bless America, My home sweet home.
Senator Ron Wyden: Good morning, Mr. President, Mrs. Obama,
honored guests. It is my privilege to offer a reading from
the second book of the Torah, the Book of Exodus. Exodus
deals with the formation of the Jewish people into a nation
as they make their way from slavery to the Promised Land.
There are very important lessons in the passage where Moses'
father in law, Jethro, a Midianite priest, guides Moses on
the correct way to govern his people.
``Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard
all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people,
how the Lord had brought Israel out from Egypt.'' Then, later
in the passage, ``the next day Moses sat as magistrate among
the people while the people stood about Moses from morning
until evening. But when Moses' father-in-law saw how much he
had to do for the people, he said `What is this thing you are
doing to the people? Why do you act alone while all the
people stand about you from morning until evening?' Moses
replied to his father-in-law, `it is because the people come
to me to inquire of God; when they have a dispute, it comes
before me and I decide between one person and another and I
make known the law and the teachings of God.' But Moses'
father-in-law said to him, `the thing you are doing is not
right. You will surely wear yourself out and these people as
well. For the task is too heavy for you. You cannot do it
alone. Now listen to me, I will give you council and God be
with you. You represent the people before God. You bring the
disputed before God and enjoin upon them before the laws and
the teachings and make it known to them, the way they are to
go and the practices they are to follow. You shall also seek
out from among all of the people capable men who fear God,
trustworthy men who spurn ill-gotten gain, set these over
them as chiefs of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens and
let them judge the people at all times. Have them bring every
major dispute to you but let them decide every minor dispute
for themselves. Make it easier for yourself by letting them
share the burden with you. If you do this and God commands
you, you will be able to bear up and all these people too
will go home unwary.' Now Moses heeded his father-in-law and
did just as he had said. Moses chose capable men out of all
of Israel and appointed them heads over all the people,
chiefs of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens and they
judged the people at all times. The difficult matters they
would bring to Moses and all the minor matters they would
decide themselves. Then Moses bade his father-in-law farewell
and he went his way to his own land.''
May we all show similar wisdom and be open, open to advice
and guidance from any source. Not just within our own group,
our own faction, our own tribe, and it is only with that
wisdom can we hope to provide just and true leadership.
Congressman Charlie Wilson: Good morning Mr. President,
Madam Secretary, honored guests. I am Congressman Charlie
Wilson from Ohio's sixth district and my co-chair is
Congressman Todd Akin of Missouri's second district. We would
like to thank the Senate for putting this program together
this morning. We know the House is looking forward to putting
it together again next year. Todd and I are here together
this morning because we are the co-chairs of the House prayer
breakfast. Members of Congress from both parties have been
meeting for prayer on a weekly basis for more than five
decades in the House. We come together in the Capitol dining
room every Thursday morning at eight a.m., with no staff, we
read a verse of scripture, we pray for the sick and wounded
and we offer up a prayer of thanksgiving for our country. We
also have a different guest speaker each week who shares
their testimony. One week it's a Democrat, the next week it's
a Republican. Finally, we close in prayer and we make sure to
share that too--one week a Democrat leads the closing prayer,
the next a Republican. We never know how many are going to be
at our prayer breakfast to attend our weekly gathering. I am
happy though to let you know that it has increased
considerably this year. Our meeting lasts about an hour and
many of us refer to it as the best hour of the week. We hope
that you will consider our example and set aside time each
week with your colleagues to deepen your relationships and
open your mind to God. And now, my co-chair, Todd Akin.
Congressman Todd Akin: Good morning, I am Todd Akin from
Missouri. The tradition of the Prayer Breakfast goes back to
the days of President Eisenhower. Because of the tremendous
importance that we place on a personal relationship with God,
a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, it is a Christian
prayer breakfast. And yet we welcome happily people of all
different faiths to join us. Along these lines when we arrive
on a Thursday morning and hear a personal testimony, we hear
a tremendous diversity in the kinds of stories. For example,
we heard this story of a little boy who grows up penniless
and orphaned on the streets wondering where the next meal
will come from, and how he is led on a journey to the U.S.
Congress. We hear another story of a pilot of a small
airplane in the fog over the mountains of Germany with little
instrumentation and how in answer to prayer, a hole is opened
up in the fog showing a landing strip way below--how he dives
his airplane through the hole in the fog, lands on the
landing strip and the fog closes in around the aircraft. It
is from these and other testimonies that Congressmen develop
a mutual respect and affection for each other. The statesman
William Wilberforce from England had two great aims in his
life.
[[Page S4981]]
The first was to get rid of slavery. The second one was to
build civility--that is, a respectful and loving treatment of
the different legislators in England. This prayer breakfast
that we enjoy every week inspires that civility in an
otherwise polarizing political environment, that is why it is
the best hour of the week. God bless you.
Senator Orrin Hatch: [alarm going off on cell phone] Woops,
oh dear.
Senator Klobuchar: It's time for your prayer. Is that the
alarm for your prayer?
Senator Hatch: I never learned how to turn that alarm off.
I apologize. Let us pray. Our dear Father in Heaven, as we
bow our heads this morning before Thee, we are so grateful
for this great nation and for the nations of the world, but
especially for the opportunities we have as a nation to bring
peace and contentment and tranquility throughout this world.
We are grateful for our great leaders and we pray that Thou
wilt bless them. We pray that Thou wilt bless our President
and our Vice President and their cabinet and all of the
leaders throughout the federal government that they might be
inspired to lead us to do the things that are righteous in
Thy sight that we might be able to be good followers and that
we might be able to combine together to do what is right. As
Moses' father in law told him, let's share the responsibility
and let's work together in the best interest of our country.
Let's have bipartisanship reborn again in this great nation.
We are so grateful for those who serve in the military who
are represented here today and throughout this country. We
are grateful for the sacrifices that they undertake on our
behalf. We are grateful for those who are in harm's way and
pray that Thou wilt pour special blessings upon them, that
they might be blessed and protected. And we pray that we
might be a nation that will help to bring peace and
tranquility throughout the world. We are grateful for all of
the food, clothing and shelter that Thou has provided for us.
We are grateful for those who serve in governments throughout
the states, for the respective state legislatures. And last
but not least, we are grateful for the Congress of the United
States and we will pray that the Congress might be able to
work together as Democrats and Republicans and Independents
to serve Thee, to serve our country, to serve our fellow men
and women, and to bring peace and contentment to this great
nation and throughout the world. We pray at this time for
those who are suffering in Haiti and elsewhere throughout the
world. We ask you to bless them and help them and help us to
do our share in helping throughout this world. We are
grateful for the leaders from other countries who are here
and we pray Thy blessings upon them. Once again, we ask that
you bless our President, Vice President and the leaders of
this country. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Senator Klobuchar: Thank you very much Senator Hatch. Now
to read our next scripture today we are honored to be joined
by Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who is currently serving his
second four year term as the Prime Minister of Spain. Prime
Minister Zapatero however, is not just the leader of one very
important country, he is also the current Chairman of the
European Union. And if that isn't enough, he made a claim to
fame as Prime Minister with a cabinet where a majority of his
cabinet members are women. I decided to add that. The Prime
Minister has also made invaluable contributions to interfaith
dialogue and reconciliation in his country, both as an
individual and as an elected leader. His personal quest has
been to promote peaceful coexistence and tolerance among the
religious faiths in his own country and throughout the world.
Please join me in welcoming the Prime Minister of Spain, the
Chairman of the European Union, His Excellency Jose Luis
Rodriguez Zapatero.
The Prime Minister of Spain: [Speaking in Spanish]
Translator: Mr. President, Members of Congress, ladies and
gentlemen, thank you. Thank you for inviting me to
participate--on behalf of my country, on behalf of Spain--in
one of the American people's most symbolic traditions. And
thank you to Senators Klobuchar and Isakson. And please do
allow me now to speak to you in Spanish, the language in
which people first prayed to the God of the Gospels in this
land.
No one knows the value of religious freedom better than all
of you. Your forbearers fled oppression and so as to never be
deprived of their freedom, they founded this country. A
nation, the United States of America, born out of democracy;
a nation that has never stopped thriving thanks to the
strength of that democracy, which abolished slavery,
recognized equal voting rights and outlawed discrimination; a
nation that has expanded pluralism, tolerance and respect for
all choices and beliefs. Admirable feats, admirable in the
eyes of a firm believer in democracy, living in one of the
oldest nations in the world, Spain. Our nation is also
diverse, forged out of diversity and renewed in its
diversity. Our nation is as diverse as America. It is the
most multi-cultural of the lands of Europe, a Spain that
is Celtic, Iberian, Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Jewish, Arab
and Christian, especially Christian as defined by the
Latin American Author Carlos Fuentes. Our two countries
owe much to us that have come to us from abroad. Our
countries cannot be understood without them. Without those
who throughout history have come to our land and living in
our midst have become us, have become what we are.
Allow me to read you a Bible passage from Deuteronomy,
Chapter 24, ``You should not withhold the wages of poor and
needy laborers whether other Israelites or aliens who reside
in your land or in one of your towns. You shall pay them
their wages daily before sunset because they are poor and
their livelihood depends on them.''
Let us be concerned with integrating those who have come to
work and live in our countries in our midst. Let us also be
concerned with all of those whom we cannot welcome amongst us
and who are suffering from hunger and extreme poverty in so
many places around the world, such as those living in Haiti
and whose misfortune has moved us to offer up all our efforts
of solidarity; a solidarity which reconciles us with our
human condition, with our vulnerability and our fraternity
and which should never wane. Furthermore, I would like to
proclaim my deep commitment to those men and women who in our
societies in these difficult times are suffering the scarcity
of jobs. They should all know that as government leaders,
this task is our paramount concern. No other task is more
binding to us than that of fostering job creation. Today, it
is my plea that we also advocate the right of all persons
anywhere in the world to moral autonomy, to their quest for
that which is good. Today, it is my plea that we advocate the
freedom of all to live their own lives, to live with their
loved one and to build and nurture their family environment.
This is worthy of respect.
Freedom, civic truth, the truth common to us all, it is
what makes us true, genuine, authentic human beings, because
freedom enables each of us to look destiny in the eye and
seek our own truth. But tolerance is so much more than
accepting the other. It is discovering, knowing,
acknowledging the other. Ignorance of the other is at the
root of all conflicts that threaten human kind and endanger
our future. Ignorance breeds hate. Harmony is founded on
knowledge--so is peace. Even in the past, Spain was a model
of peaceful coexistence among the three religions of the
Book--Judaism, Christianity and Islam. And today in the
world, Spain defends religious tolerance and respect for
difference, dialogue, peaceful coexistence of cultures, the
alliance of civilizations. We do so with as much conviction
as we reject excluding statements of moral superiority,
absolutism, and uncompromising fundamentalism. The United
States knows, as does Spain, that the spurious use of
religious faith to justify violence can be hugely
destructive. And what better occasion than this prayer
breakfast to commemorate together, to honor together, our
victims of terrorism. Because it also together that we defend
freedom wherever it is threatened.
Mr. President, members of Congress, ladies and gentlemen,
be it with a lofty dimension or a civic one, freedom is
always the foundation of hope, of hope in the future, for
liberty as for honor says Don Quixote in the masterpiece
written in Spanish, ``One can rightfully risk one's life, yet
captivity is the worst evil that can befall men.'' Liberty is
one of the most precious gifts heaven has bestowed upon man
that this gift may continue blessing America and all people's
on earth. Thank you very much. [Applause]
Senator Isakson: Prime Minister Zapatero, thank you for
those meaningful and inspirational words. We are delighted to
have you in America today and we appreciate your friendship
very much. You know every day when I find those special few
moments to pause and meditate and pray for the things I am
thankful for, the very first prayer is for the men and women
who serve us in harm's way in our armed forces around the
world. For I know they not only serve the United States, but
they serve peace, freedom and democracy of all nations around
the world. And it is my pleasure now to introduce the leader
of the United States' military, the Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen.
Admiral Michael Mullen: Thank you. Good morning Mr.
President, Mrs. Obama, Vice President Biden, Secretary
Clinton, other distinguished heads of state and distinguished
visitors, ladies and gentlemen. I am deeply honored to be
here and to have this opportunity. I have been asked this
morning to offer a prayer for world leaders. When my wife,
Deborah, informed me that one of the leaders I would be
praying for was probably me, something I hadn't really
considered, I actually started taking this very serious. I am
also mindful that there is more than one higher power in the
room today, no offense, Mr. Vice President. Now, before I ask
you all to join me in prayer I would like to tell a little
story. It is about an Army platoon leader in the Korean War.
He and his men fell into an ambush one day out on patrol and
found themselves surrounded by enemy soldiers. They hunkered
down in a small clearing, making the best of what little
cover they could find and tried desperately to hold on
against what seemed to be terrible odds. Every now and then,
the platoon sergeant noticed that his young lieutenant would
dash behind a big rock and sit for a minute or two and then
dash back out and start issuing new commands: ``move here,
move there, shift your fire high, shift it low.'' The barrage
of orders seemed to come almost as fast as the enemy bullets
themselves. After an hour or so, while suffering only a few
casualties, the platoon had chased off their attackers and
began to safely make their way back to base. On the walk
back, the sergeant approached the lieutenant and asked him:
``Exactly what were you doing behind that rock, sir?'' The
officer grinned a little, sighed, his shoulders sank, he said
``I needed
[[Page S4982]]
time to think, to adjust so I kept asking myself three
questions: What am I doing? What am I not doing? And how can
I make up the difference?'' Now, I do not know if that story
is really true or not--I am told that it is. I really like
it, because it illustrates perfectly the deepest challenge of
leadership during difficult times--that of self reflection
and sober analysis. Even in the heat of battle, perhaps
especially in the heat of battle, we must find the time to
think, to adjust, and to improve our situation. After more
than four decades in uniform in peace and in war, it has been
my experience that people are guided best not by their
instincts but by their reason. That leaders are most
effective not when they rule passionately but when they
decide dispassionately. As St. Thomas Aquinas once said, ``A
man has free choice only to the extent that he is rational.''
And so in these dangerous, difficult and immensely
challenging times, when our young troops fight two wars
overseas while their loved ones back home fight to keep their
families together, when everything from the economy to the
environment instills fear and uncertainty, let us exercise
our own free choice. Let us lead rationally and calmly. Let
us take the time to ask ourselves: What are we doing? What
are we not doing? And how can we make up the difference? We
may not always like the answers--I know I seldom do--but we
can always learn from having posed the questions.
And now, please bow your heads and join me in prayer.
Father in Heaven, we gather today to ask your blessing over
the lives and decisions of those who lead us around the
world. Theirs is a mighty task and a noble calling, for upon
their shoulders rest the hopes and dreams of billions of
people, not only of this generation but of future generations
who know us not. May you guide them in that pursuit, oh Lord,
give them the faith to seek your guidance, the wisdom to make
the right decisions and the character to see those
decisions through. Help them choose love over hate,
courage over fear, principle over expediency. Let them
always seek concord and peace and to remember that the
best leader is a good and humble servant. Encourage them,
Father, to seek your council as Solomon himself did in 1
Kings, chapter 3, saying to you: ``but I am only a little
child and do not know how to carry out my duties. So give
me a discerning heart to govern your people and to
distinguish between right and wrong.'' May you bless us
all Lord, your children, and give our leaders that same
discerning heart. Help us always to distinguish between
right and wrong and to serve others before ourselves. This
we pray, in Thy name, Amen.
Senator Klobuchar: Thank you very much, Admiral Mullen. It
is now my great honor to introduce our keynote speaker,
Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton. She is an
incredibly accomplished woman whose life has been shaped by
the deep and abiding faith she was blessed to receive during
her childhood in suburban Chicago. Faith was always central
to Hillary Clinton's family. Her mother taught Sunday school
and made sure that her daughter and sons were there the
moment the church doors opened. In high school, she was
deeply influenced by her youth minister who taught her about
faith in action. On one memorable evening at age fourteen,
her church youth group went to hear a speech by Reverend
Martin Luther King, a transformative experience that inspires
her today. As a successful attorney and the First Lady of
Arkansas, her faith inspired her to be a forceful advocate
for disadvantaged children and families. As our nation's
First Lady, her faith led her to be a champion for health
care reform and for human rights, especially for women around
the world. As I have learned from people who were here at
this prayer breakfast long before me, Hillary Clinton and her
husband, President Bill Clinton, were always generous with
their time at this prayer breakfast. As a Senator from New
York, Senator Clinton's faith sustained as she became a
highly respected legislator who always did her homework. And
after a long and bruising presidential campaign in which she
shattered the glass ceiling for national women candidates
forever, she was asked by President Obama to serve as
Secretary of State. She could have so easily said ``no'' and
stayed as the powerhouse she was in the Senate, instead, she
once again answered the call to serve. She didn't flinch, she
didn't hesitate. And in the words of Isaiah, she said, ``Send
me.'' From the sands of the Mideast, to the capitals of
Europe, to the devastation in Haiti, she has shown America's
strength and commitment to the world. Please join me in
welcoming, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you very much. I have to begin by saying that I am not
Bono. Those of you who were here when he was, I apologize
beforehand. But it is a great pleasure to be with you and to
be here with President and Mrs. Obama, to be with Vice
President Biden, with Chairman Mullen, with certainly our
hosts today, my former colleagues and friends, Senators
Johnny Isakson and Amy Klobuchar. And to be with so many
distinguished guests and visitors who have come from all over
our country and indeed from all over the world.
I have attended this prayer breakfast every year since
1993, and I have always found it to be a gathering that
inspires and motivates me. Now today, our minds are still
filled with the images of the tragedy of Haiti where faith is
being tested daily in food lines and makeshift hospitals, in
tent cities where there are not only so many suffering people
but so many vanished dreams.
When I think about the horrible catastrophe that has struck
Haiti, I am both saddened but also spurred. This is a moment
that has already been embraced by people of faith from
everywhere. I thank Prime Minister Zapatero for his country's
response and commitment. Because in the days since the
earthquake, we have seen the world and the world's faithful
spring into action on behalf of those suffering. President
Obama has put our country on the leading edge of making sure
that we do all we can to help alleviate not only the
immediate suffering, but to assist in the rebuilding and
recovery. So many countries have answered the call, and so
many churches, synagogues, mosques and temples have brought
their own people together. And even with modern technology
through Facebook and telethons and text messages and Twitter,
there has been an overwhelming global response. But of
course, there is so much more to be done.
When I think about being here with all of you today, there
are so many subjects to talk about. You have already heard,
both in prayer and in Scripture reading and in Prime Minister
Zapatero's remarks, a number of messages. But let me be both
personal and speak from my unique perspective now as
Secretary of State. I have been here as a First Lady. I have
been here as a senator, and now I am here as a Secretary of
State. I have heard heartfelt descriptions of personal faith
journeys. I have heard impassioned pleas for feeding the
hungry and helping the poor, caring for the sick. I have
heard speeches about promoting understanding among people of
different faiths. I have met hundreds of visitors from
countries across the globe. I have seen the leaders of my own
country come here amidst the crises of the time and, for at
least a morning, put away political and ideological
differences. And I have watched and I have listened to three
presidents, each a man of faith, speak from their hearts,
both sharing their own feelings about being in a position
that has almost intolerably impossible burdens to bear, and
appealing often, either explicitly or implicitly, for an end
to the increasing smallness, irrelevancy, even meanness, of
our own political culture. My own heart has been touched and
occasionally pierced by the words I have heard and often my
spirit has been lifted by the musicians and the singers who
have shared their gifts in praising the Lord with us. And
during difficult and painful times, my faith has been
strengthened by the personal connections that I have
experienced with people who, by the calculus of politics,
were on the opposite side of me on the basis of issues or
partisanship.
After my very first prayer breakfast, a bipartisan group of
women asked me to join them for lunch and told me that they
were forming a prayer group. And these prayer partners prayed
for me. They prayed for me during some very challenging
times. They came to see me in the White House. They kept in
touch with me and some still do today. And they gave me a
handmade book with messages, quotes, and Scripture to sustain
me. And of all the thousands of gifts that I have received in
the White House, I have a special affection for this one.
Because in addition to the tangible gift of the book, it
contained 12 intangible gifts, 12 gifts of discernment,
peace, compassion, faith, fellowship, vision, forgiveness,
grace, wisdom, love, joy, and courage. And I have had many
occasions to pull out that book and to look at it and to try,
Chairman Mullen, to figure out how to close the gap of what I
am feeling and doing with what I know I should be feeling and
doing. As a person of faith, it is a constant struggle,
particularly in the political arena, to close that gap that
each of us faces.
In February of 1994, the speaker here was Mother Theresa.
She gave, as everyone who remembers that occasion will
certainly recall, a strong address against abortion. And then
she asked to see me. And I thought, ``Oh, dear.'' And after
the breakfast we went behind that curtain and we sat on
folding chairs, and I remember being struck by how small she
was and how powerful her hands were, despite her size, and
that she was wearing sandals in February in Washington.
We began to talk and she told me that she knew that we had
a shared conviction about adoption being vastly better as a
choice for unplanned or unwanted babies. And she asked me--or
more properly, she directed me--to work with her to create a
home for such babies here in Washington. I know that we often
picture, as we are growing up, God as a man with a white
beard. But that day, I felt like I had been ordered, and that
the message was coming not just through this diminutive woman
but from some place far beyond.
So, I started to work. And it took a while because we had
to cut through all the red tape. We had to get all of the
approvals. I thought it would be easier than it turned out to
be. She proved herself to be the most relentless lobbyist I
have ever encountered. She could not get a job in your White
House, Mr. President. She never let up. She called me from
India, she called me from Vietnam, she wrote me letters and
it was always: ``When is the house going to open? How much
more can be done--quickly?''
Finally, the moment came: June 1995 and the Mother Theresa
Home for Infant Children opened. She flew in from Kolkata to
attend the opening and, like a happy child, she gripped my
arm and led me around, looking
[[Page S4983]]
at the bassinets and the pretty painted colors on the wall,
and just beaming about what this meant for children and their
futures.
A few years later, I attended her funeral in Kolkata, where
I saw presidents and prime ministers, royalty and street
beggars pay her homage. And after the service, her successor,
Sister Nirmala, the leader of the Missionary of Charity,
invited me to come to the Mother House. I was deeply touched.
When I arrived, I realized I was one of only a very few
outsiders. And I was directed into a whitewashed room where
the casket had already arrived. And we stood around with the
nuns, with the candles on the walls flickering, and prayed
for this extraordinary woman. And then Sister Nirmala asked
me to offer a prayer. I felt both inadequate and deeply
honored, just as I do today.
And in the tradition of prayer breakfast speakers, let me
share a few matters that reflect how I came on my own faith
journey, and how I think about the responsibilities that
President Obama and his administration and our government
face today. As Amy said, I grew up in the Methodist Church.
On both sides of my father's family, the Rodhams and the
Joneses; they came from mining towns. And they claimed, going
back many years, to have actually been converted by John and
Charles Wesley. And, of course, Methodists--we are
methodical. It was a particularly good religion for me. And
part of it is a commitment to living out your faith. We
believe that faith without works may not be dead, but it is
hard to discern from time to time. John Wesley had this
simple rule which I carry around with me as I travel: ``Do
all the good you can by all the means you can and by all the
ways you can and all the places you can at all the times you
can to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.''
That is a tall order. And of course, one of the interpretive
problems with it is, who defines good? What are we actually
called to do, and how do we stay humble enough, obedient
enough, to ask ourselves, ``Am I really doing what I am
called to do?'' It was a good rule to be raised by and it was
certainly a good rule for my mother and father to discipline
us by. And I think it is a good rule to live by, with the
appropriate dose of humility. Our world is an imperfect one
filled with imperfect people, so we constantly struggle to
meet our own spiritual goals. But John Wesley's teachings,
and the teachings of my church, particularly during my
childhood and teenage years, gave me the impetus to believe
that I did have a responsibility. It meant not sitting on the
sidelines, but being in the arena. And it meant constantly
working to try to fulfill the lessons that I absorbed as a
child. It is not easy. We are here today because we are all
seekers, and we can all look around our own lives and the
lives of those whom we know and see everyone falling so
short.
As we look around the world, there are so many problems and
challenges that people of faith are attempting to address--or
should be. We can recite those places where human beings are
mired in the past--their hatreds, their differences--where
governments refuse to speak to other governments, where the
progress of entire nations is undermined because isolation
and insularity seem less risky than cooperation and
collaboration, where all too often it is religion that is the
force that drives and sustains division rather than being the
healing balm. These patterns persist despite the overwhelming
evidence that more good will comes from suspending old
animosities and preconceptions, from engaging others in
dialogue, from remembering the cardinal rules found in all of
the world's major religions.
Last October, I visited Belfast once again, 11 years after
the signing of the Good Friday agreement, a place where being
a Protestant or a Catholic determined where you lived, often
where you worked, whether you were a friend or an enemy, a
threat or a target. Yet over time, as the body count grew,
the bonds of common humanity became more powerful than the
differences fueled by ancient wrongs. So bullets have been
traded for ballots--as we meet this morning, both communities
are attempting to hammer out a final agreement on the yet
unresolved issues between them. And they are discovering anew
what the Scripture urges us: ``Let us not become weary in
doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if
we do not give up.'' Even in places where God's presence and
promise seems fleeting and unfulfilled or completely absent,
the power of one person's faith and the determination to act
can help lead a nation out of darkness.
Some of you may have seen the film, ``Pray the Devil Back
to Hell.'' It is the story of a Liberian woman who was tired
of the conflict and the killing and the fear that had gripped
her country for years. So she went to her church and she
prayed for an end to the civil war. And she organized other
women at her church, and then at other churches, then at the
mosques. Soon thousands of women became a mass movement,
rising up and praying for a peace, and working to bring it
about that finally, finally ended the conflict.
And yet, the devil must have left Liberia and taken up
residence in Congo. When I was in the Democratic Republic of
Congo this summer, the contrasts were so overwhelmingly
tragic--a country the size of Western Europe, rich in
minerals and natural resources, where 5.4 million people have
been killed in the most deadly conflict since World War II;
where 1,100 women and girls are raped every month; where the
life expectancy is 46 and dropping; where poverty, starvation
and all of the ills that stalk the human race are in
abundance. When I traveled to Goma, I saw in a single day the
best and the worst of humanity. I met with women who had been
savaged and brutalized physically and emotionally, victims of
gender and sexual-based violence in a place where law, custom
and even faith did little to protect them. But I also saw
courageous women who, by faith, went back in to the bush to
find those who, like them, had been violently attacked. I saw
the doctors and the nurses who were helping to heal the
wounds, and I saw so many who were there because their faith
led them to it.
As we look at the world today and we reflect on the
overwhelming response--of the outpouring of generosity--to
what happened in Haiti, I am reminded of a story of Elijah.
After he goes to Mount Horeb, we read that he faced ``a great
wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and
breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was
not in the wind; and after the wind, an earthquake, but
the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the
earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and
after the fire, a sound of sheer silence--a still small
voice.'' It was then that Elijah heard the voice of the
Lord. It is often when we are only quiet enough to listen,
that we do as well. It is something we can do at any time,
without a disaster or a catastrophe provoking it. It
shouldn't take that.
But the teachings of every religion call us to care for the
poor, tell us to visit the orphans and widows, to be generous
and charitable, to alleviate suffering. All religions have
their version of the Golden Rule and direct us to love our
neighbor and welcome the stranger and visit the prisoner. But
how often in the midst of our own lives do we respond to
that? All of these holy texts, all of this religious wisdom
from these very different faiths, call on us to act out of
love. In politics, we sometimes talk about message
discipline--making sure everyone uses the same set of talking
points. Well, whoever was in charge of message discipline on
these issues for every religion certainly knew what they were
doing. Regardless of our differences, we all got the same
talking points and the same marching orders. So the charge is
a personal one. Yet across the world, we see organized
religion standing in the way of faith, perverting love,
undermining that message. Sometimes it is easier to see the
far away than the here at home. But religion, cloaked in
naked power lust, is used to justify horrific violence,
attacks on homes, markets, schools, volleyball games,
churches, mosques, synagogues, temples. From Iraq to Pakistan
and Afghanistan to Nigeria and the Middle East, religion is
used as a club to deny the human rights of girls and women,
from the Gulf to Africa to Asia, and to discriminate, even
advocating the execution of gays and lesbians. Religion is
used to enshrine in law intolerance of free expression and
peaceful protest. Iran is now detaining people and executing
people under a new crime--waging war against God. That seems
to be a rather dramatic identity crisis.
So in the Obama Administration, we are working to bridge
religious divides. We are taking on violations of human
rights perpetrated in the name of religion. And we invite
members of Congress and clergy and active citizens like all
of you here to join us. Of course, we are supporting the
peace processes from Northern Ireland to the Middle East, and
of course we are following up on the President's historic
speech at Cairo with outreach efforts to Muslims and
promoting interfaith dialogue, and of course we are
condemning the repression in Iran. But we are also standing
up for girls and for women, who too often in the name of
religion, are denied their basic human rights. And we are
standing up for gays and lesbians who deserve to be treated
as full human beings. And we are also making it clear to
countries and leaders that these are priorities of the United
States. Every time I travel, I raise the plight of girls and
women, and make it clear that we expect to see changes. And I
recently called President Museveni, whom I have known through
the prayer breakfast, and expressed the strongest concerns
about a law being considered in the parliament of Uganda.
We are committed, not only to reaching out and speaking up
about the perversion of religion, and in particularly the use
of it to promote and justify terrorism, but also seeking to
find common ground. We are working with Muslim nations to
come up with an appropriate way of demonstrating criticism of
religious intolerance without stepping over into the area of
freedom of religion, or non-religion, and expression. So
there is much to be done, and there are a lot of challenging
opportunities for each of us as we leave this prayer
breakfast, this 58th prayer breakfast.
In 1975, my husband and I, who had gotten married in
October, and we were both teaching at the University of
Arkansas Law School in beautiful Fayetteville, Arkansas--we
got married on a Saturday and went back to work on a Monday.
So around Christmastime, we decided that we should go
somewhere and celebrate, take a honeymoon. And my late father
said, ``Well, that's a great idea, we'll come too.'' And
indeed Bill and I and my entire family went to Acapulco. We
had a great time, but it wasn't exactly a honeymoon. So when
we got back, Bill was talking to one of his friends who was
then working in Haiti, and his friend said, ``Well, why don't
you come see me? This is the most interesting country. Come
and take some time.'' So indeed, we did. So we were there
[[Page S4984]]
over the New Year's holidays. And I remember visiting the
cathedral in Port-au-Prince, in the midst of, at that time,
so much fear from the regime of the Duvaliers, and so much
poverty, there was this cathedral that had stood there and
served as a beacon of hope and faith. After the earthquake, I
was looking at some of our pictures from the disaster, and I
saw the total destruction of the cathedral. It was just a
heart rending moment. And yet, I also saw men and women
helping one another, digging through the rubble, dancing and
singing in the makeshift communities that they were building
up. And I thought again that as the Scripture reminds us,
``Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my
covenant of peace be removed.''
As the memory of this crisis fades, as the news cameras
move on to the next very dramatic incident, let us pray that
we can sustain the force and the feeling that we find in our
hearts and in our faith in the aftermath of such tragedies.
Let us pray that we will all continue to be our brothers' and
sisters' keepers. Let us pray that amid our differences we
can continue to see the power of faith not only to make us
whole as individuals, to provide personal salvation, but to
make us a greater whole and a greater force for good on
behalf of all creation. So let us do all the good that we
can, by all the means we can, in all the ways we can, in all
the places we can, to all the people we can, as long as ever
we can. God Bless you.
Senator Isakson: Thank you, Secretary Clinton, for your
words of inspiration and for the magnificent job you do as
the Secretary of State for our nation. I now have the high
honor and distinct privilege of introducing the President of
the United States--that is no easy task. Have you ever tried
introducing somebody that is known to everybody on the
planet? It is hard to find something unique and
inspirational. Everyone knows of the historic impact of
Barack Obama's election to the Presidency of the United
States. We all marvel at his oratory skills and his ability
to communicate, and we all know his energy is boundless. We
also know that his audacity of hope has given hope to
millions of people around the world, to aspire to the highest
of achievement in their life. But it was his State of the
Union that inspired me as to what I would say, because I
listened when he asked us to seek those things that we have
in common, not those things that divide us. And then I
realized it, Mr. President, you and I share one unique
characteristic in common--we married way over our heads. With
a magnificent First Lady like Michelle Obama, I felt it only
appropriate that I would introduce you today, sir, as the
husband of the dynamic First Lady of the United States of
America, President Barack Obama.
The President: Thank you. Thank you very much. Please be
seated.
Thank you so much. Heads of State, Cabinet members, my
outstanding Vice President, members of Congress, religious
leaders, distinguished guests, Admiral Mullen--it's good to
see all of you. Let me begin by acknowledging the co-chairs
of this breakfast, Senators Isakson and Klobuchar, who embody
the sense of fellowship at the heart of this gathering. They
are two of my favorite senators. Let me also acknowledge
the director of my Faith-based Office, Joshua DuBois, who
is here. He's doing great work.
I want to commend Secretary Hillary Clinton on her
outstanding remarks and her outstanding leadership at the
State Department. She is doing good every day. I am
especially pleased to see my dear friend, Prime Minister
Zapatero, and I want him to relay America's greetings to the
people of Spain. And Johnny, you are right, I am deeply
blessed, and I thank God every day for being married to
Michelle Obama.
I am privileged to join you once again as my predecessors
have for over half a century. Like them, I come here to speak
about the ways my faith informs who I am--as a President and
as a person. But I am also here for the same reason that all
of you are, for we all share recognition--one as old as
time--that a willingness to believe, an openness to grace, a
commitment to prayer can bring sustenance to our lives.
There is, of course, a need for prayer even in times of joy
and peace and prosperity. Perhaps especially in such times
prayer is needed--to guard against pride and to guard against
complacency. But rightly or wrongly, most of us are inclined
to seek out the divine not in the moment when the Lord makes
his face shine upon us but in the moment when God's grace can
seem farthest away.
Last month, God's grace, God's mercy, seemed far away from
our neighbors in Haiti. And yet I believe that grace was not
absent in the midst of tragedy. It was heard in prayers and
hymns that broke the silence of an earthquake's wake. It was
witnessed among parishioners of churches that stood no more,
a road side congregation holding bibles in their laps. It was
felt in the presence of relief workers and medics,
translators, service men and women bringing food and water
and aid to the injured.
One such translator was an American of Haitian decent,
representative of the extraordinary work that our men and
women in uniform do all around the world--Navy Corpsman
Christopher Brossard. And lying on a gurney aboard the USNS
Comfort, a woman asked Christopher: ``Where do you come from?
What country? After my operation,'' she said, ``I will pray
for that country.'' And in Creole, Corpsman Brossard
responded, ``Etazini.'' The United States of America.
God's grace, and the compassion and decency of the American
people is expressed through the men and women like Corpsman
Brossard. It is expressed through the efforts of our Armed
Forces; through the efforts of our entire government; through
similar efforts from Spain and other countries around the
world. It is also, as Secretary Clinton said, expressed
through multiple faith-based efforts. By Evangelicals at
World Relief. By the American Jewish World Service. By Hindu
temples, and mainline Protestants, Catholic Relief Services,
African-American churches, the United Sikhs. By Americans of
every faith, and no faith, uniting around a common purpose, a
higher purpose.
It's inspiring. This is what we do, as Americans, in times
of trouble. We unite, recognizing that such crises call on
all of us to act, recognizing that there but for the grace of
God go I, recognizing that life's most sacred
responsibility--one affirmed, as Hillary said, by all of the
world's great religions--is to sacrifice something of
ourselves for a person in need.
Sadly, though, that spirit is too often absent when
tackling the long-term, but no less profound issues facing
our country and the world. Too often, that spirit is missing
without the spectacular tragedy--the 9/11 or the Katrina, the
earthquake or the tsunami--that can shake us out of
complacency. We become numb to the day-to-day crises, the
slow-moving tragedies of children without food and men
without shelter and families without health care. We become
absorbed with our abstract arguments, our ideological
disputes, our contests for power. And in this Tower of Babel,
we lose the sound of God's voice.
Now, for those of us here in Washington, let's acknowledge
that democracy has always been messy. Let's not be overly
nostalgic. Divisions are hardly new in this country.
Arguments about the proper role of government, the
relationship between liberty and equality, our obligations to
our fellow citizens--these things have been with us since our
founding. And I am profoundly mindful that a loyal
opposition, a vigorous back and forth, a skepticism of power,
all of that is what makes our democracy work.
And we have seen actually some improvement in some
circumstances. We haven't seen any canings on the floor of
the Senate any time recently. So we shouldn't over-
romanticize the past. But there is a sense that something is
different now; that something is broken; that those of us in
Washington are not serving the people as well as we should.
At times, it seems like we are unable to listen to one
another; to have at once a serious and civil debate. And this
erosion of civility in the public square sows division and
distrust among our citizens. It poisons the well of public
opinion. It leaves each side little room to negotiate with
the other. It makes politics an all-or-nothing sport, where
one side is either always right or always wrong when, in
reality, neither side has a monopoly on truth. And then we
lose sight of the children without food and the men without
shelter and the families without health care.
Empowered by faith, consistently, prayerfully, we need to
find our way back to civility. That begins with stepping out
of our comfort zones in an effort to bridge divisions. We see
that in many conservative pastors who are helping lead the
way to fix our broken immigration system. It's not what would
be expected from them, and yet they recognize, in those
immigrant families, the face of God. We see that in the
Evangelical leaders who are rallying their congregations to
protect our planet. We see it in the increasing recognition
among progressives that government cannot solve all of our
problems, and that talking about values like responsible
fatherhood and healthy marriage are integral to any anti-
poverty agenda. Stretching out of our dogmas, our prescribed
roles along the political spectrum, that can help us regain a
sense of civility.
Civility also requires relearning how to disagree without
being disagreeable; understanding as President Kennedy said,
that ``civility is not a sign of weakness.'' Now, I am the
first to confess that I am not always right. Michelle will
testify to that. But surely you can question my policies
without questioning my faith, or, for that matter, my
citizenship.
Challenging each other's ideas can renew our democracy. But
when we challenge each other's motives, it becomes harder to
see what we hold in common. We forget that we share in some
deep level the same dreams--even when we don't share the same
plans on how to fulfill them.
We may disagree about the best way to reform our health
care system, but surely we can agree that no one ought to go
broke when they get sick in the richest nation on Earth. We
can take different approaches to ending inequality, but
surely we can agree on the need to lift our children out
of ignorance; to lift our neighbors from poverty. We may
disagree about gay marriage, but surely we can agree that
it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who
they are--whether it is here in the United States or, as
Hillary mentioned, more extremely in odious laws that are
being proposed most recently in Uganda.
Surely, we can agree to find common ground when possible,
parting ways when necessary. But in doing so, let us be
guided by our faith, and by prayer. For while prayer can buck
us up when we are down, keep us calm in a storm; while prayer
can stiffen our
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spines to surmount an obstacle--and I assure you I'm praying
a lot these days--prayer can also do something else. It can
touch our hearts with humility. It can fill us with a spirit
of brotherhood. It can remind us that each of us are children
of an awesome and loving God.
Through faith, but not through faith alone, we can unite
people to serve the common good. And that's why my Office of
Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships has been working so
hard since I announced it here last year. We have slashed red
tape and built effective partnerships on a range of uses,
from promoting fatherhood here at home, to spearheading
inter-faith cooperation abroad. And through that office, we
have turned the faith based initiative around to find common
ground among people of all beliefs, allowing them to make an
impact that is civil and respectful of difference and focused
on what matters most.
It is this spirit of civility that we are called to take up
when we leave here today. That is what I am praying for. I
know in difficult times like these--when people are
frustrated, when pundits start shouting and politicians start
calling each other names--it can seem like a return to
civility is not possible, like the very idea is a relic of
some bygone era. The word itself seems quaint--civility.
But let us remember those who came before; those who
believed in the brotherhood of man even when such a faith was
tested. Remember Dr. Martin Luther King. Not long after an
explosion ripped through his front porch, his wife and infant
daughter inside, he rose to that pulpit in Montgomery and
said, ``Love is the only force capable of transforming an
enemy into a friend.''
In the eyes of those who denied his humanity, he saw the
face of God.
Remember Abraham Lincoln. On the eve of the Civil War, with
states seceding and forces gathering, with a nation divided
half slave half free, he rose to deliver his first inaugural
and said, ``We are not enemies but friends . . . Though
passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of
affection.''
Even in the eyes of Confederate soldiers, he saw the face
of God.
Remember William Wilberforce, whose Christian faith led him
to seek slavery's abolition in Britain. He was vilified,
derided, attacked; but he called for ``lessening prejudices
and conciliating good-will, and thereby making way for the
less obstructed progress of truth.''
In the eyes of those who sought to silence a nation's
conscience, he saw the face of God.
Yes, there are crimes of conscience that call us to action.
Yes, there are causes that move our hearts and offenses that
stir our souls. But progress does not come when we demonize
opponents. It is not born in righteous spite. Progress comes
when we open our hearts, when we extend our hands, when we
recognize our common humanity. Progress comes when we look
into the eyes of another and see the face of God. That we
might do so--that we will do so all the time, not just some
of the time--is my fervent prayer for the nation and the
world.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States
of America.
Senator Isakson: Thank you so much, Mr. President, for your
leadership and your words of faith. We are now in for a
magnificent treat. Ralph Freeman founded Song Sermon
Ministries years ago, has sung on continents around the world
and throughout the United States. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr.
Ralph Freeman.
Mr. Ralph Freeman: [Singing]
We believe in the Father who created all that is
And we believe the universe and all there is His
As a loving Heavenly Father he yearned to save us all
To lift us from the fall--we believe
We believe in Jesus, the Father's only son
Existing uncreated before time had begun
A sacrifice for sin, he died then he rose again
To ransom sinful man--we believe.
We believe in the Spirit who makes believers one
Our hearts are filled with His presence
The Comforter has come
The kingdom unfolds in His plan
Unhindered by quarrels of man
His church upheld by his hands--we believe
Though the Earth be removed
And time be no more
These truths are secure God's words shall endure
Whatever may change, these things for sure--we believe.
So if the mountains are cast down into the plains
When the kingdoms all crumble, this one remains
Our faith is not subject to seasons of man
With our fathers we proclaim
We believe our Lord will come as He said
The land and the sea will give up their dead
His children will reign with Him as their head
We believe
We believe
Senator Klobuchar: What an amazing song. Thank you so much
and the President wanted me to let you know he only had to
leave early so it makes it easier for you all to get out of
here. But we want to thank you for such a beautiful morning,
something we will never forget and we have one last prayer, a
closing prayer and Johnny will introduce our speaker.
Senator Isakson: My favorite verse in the Bible is in the
first book of Thessalonians, the 5th chapter, the 16th and
17th verses--``Rejoice evermore.'' And certainly after this
morning's message from Secretary of State Clinton and the
gifted musicians that we heard from, Ralph Freeman, Bob
Fraumann and MaryKay Messenger, we have had a reason to
rejoice this morning. But in addition, the second verse says
``Pray without ceasing,'' and I can not think of a more
appropriate person to close today than the young man of great
gift and talent on the gridiron, who lives his faith and
ministers around the world sharing with others. A role model
for the youth of America, the University of Florida
quarterback, the Heisman Trophy Winner, Mr. Tim Tebow.
Mr. Tim Tebow: It is actually rather incredible that a
Georgia Bulldog would invite a Florida Gator. So you can
actually see the hand of God here today already. Madam
Secretary, Senators, distinguished guests, thank you so much
for this opportunity. Now if you would, please bow your heads
and pray with me right now.
Dear Jesus, thank you for this day. Thank you for bringing
together so many people that have a platform to influence
people for you. Lord, as we disperse today let us be united
in love, hope and peace. Lord, let us come together as one
and break down all the barriers in between us that separate
us. Lord, you came to seek and save those who were lost and
we thank you for that. Lord, we don't know what the future
holds but we know who holds the future and in that there is
peace and in that there is comfort and in that there is hope.
Lord, we pray for the people all over the world who are
hurting right now, Lord. And the first thing that comes to
mind is James 1, verses 2 through 4, ``Consider all joy my
brethren when you encounter various trials, knowing that the
testing of your faith produces endurance and let endurance
have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and
complete, lacking in nothing.'' And we pray for the people in
Haiti right now, Lord, that you make them perfect and
complete because you love them and you have a plan for their
lives, just like you do with our lives right now. So my
prayer is as we leave today, we are united as one because of
you. We love you and thank you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Senator Isakson: Thank you for attending. We look forward
to seeing you at the 59th Prayer Breakfast next year.
Senator Klobuchar: Thank you.
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