[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 21973-21978]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST

  Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, as the session winds down I have been 
thinking back over the year. As always, there has been a lot more 
activity than action, but we are making progress on the people's 
business.
  But not everything we do here is legislative in nature. Senator Pryor 
and I had the opportunity to chair the National Prayer Breakfast in 
February, a nonofficial, nonpartisan, and nondenominational gathering 
of people from all over the world who are seeking better ways to 
connect with each other and find strength beyond ourselves. Many of our 
colleagues in the House and Senate participated. For their reference 
and for the benefit of other interested readers of this Record, I ask 
unanimous consent that a copy of a transcript of the event, including a 
very interesting talk by U2 lead singer and humanitarian Bono, be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

       Senator Mark Pryor: Good morning. Thank you very much for 
     being here. I am Senator Mark Pryor, from Arkansas, and I am 
     one of the co-chairs of this event along with my very good 
     friend Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota. We are so grateful 
     that you have come from every state in the Union, and from 
     160 nations around the world. To start us out on an uplifting 
     and prayerful note, I am happy to introduce Karen Mason from 
     Little Rock, Arkansas. She has a song to share today about 
     gratitude, and it expresses how we all are feeling today.
       Mrs. Karen Mason: Psalm 100 says that protocol for coming 
     into the presence of our heavenly King is to enter into His 
     gates with thanksgiving, to come into His presence with 
     gratitude, with a heart of gratefulness, and this song is my 
     song of gratitude to my heavenly King.
       (Song.) (Applause.)
       Senator Norm Coleman: Good morning, folks, I am Senator 
     Norm Coleman, from the state of Minnesota, and before we 
     enjoy our breakfast and more fellowship around the tables, I 
     would like to introduce our head table's special guests and 
     say a few words of grace. To my far left, Karen Mason, and 
     the four women from Point of Grace, who will be introduced 
     later in the program. Next to them is Senator David Vitter 
     from Louisiana, then we have Senator Barack Obama, Illinois' 
     new senator. Next to him is someone who we will introduce 
     more fully later, for now one word will suffice--Bono. Next 
     to him is my wife Laurie, whose love and support has brought 
     me to this moment. On the other end, we have Congressman 
     Lincoln Davis from Tennessee. Next to him we have 
     Representative Tom Osborne of Nebraska, we will just call him 
     Coach. Next to him is Senator Ken Salazar from Colorado. Then 
     we have Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison from the great state of 
     Texas. Next, a former main speaker at this event, Senator Joe 
     Lieberman of Connecticut, and next, a member of the Joint 
     Chiefs of Staff, Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Michael 
     Mullen. Finally, the spouse of my co-chair, Jill Pryor.
       Let us pray to bless the food, which I will do in a moment. 
     But first I would like to recite the most holy prayer in 
     Judaism which is called the Shema, and I have prayed it since 
     I was a little boy.
       Sh'ma Yisrael, Adonai Elohaynu, Adonai Echad--Hear O 
     Israel, Adonai is your God, Adonai is your God. Barukh Shem 
     k'vod malkhuto l'olam va-ed--Blessed is the Name of His 
     glorious kingdom for ever and ever. V-ahavta et Adonai 
     Elohecha--you shall love the Lord your God--b-chol l'vavcha 
     u-v-chol naf'sh'cha u-v-chol m'odecha--with all your heart 
     and with all your soul and with all your strength.
       We gather under the shelter of encouragement of Your love 
     today, to return thanks, to seek unity, to help the 
     suffering, and to work for peace. Almighty God, we thank You 
     for this food for our bodies and our hearts which we are 
     receiving this morning. Bless all who prepared it. Lord, 
     change us, and send us out of here different people than we 
     were when we walked in. Amein.
       Enjoy the food and the fellowship around the table.
       (Breakfast.)
       Senator Coleman: We are going to begin the program. I am 
     happy to introduce my good friend Mark Pryor. He is a 
     Democrat from a red state.
       Senator Pryor: And my good friend Norm Coleman who is a 
     Republican from a blue state and maybe that is why we get 
     along so well. (Laughter.)
       Senator Coleman: We came to Washington together, and one of 
     the first things we heard from our senior colleagues was 
     Harry Truman's advice: If you want a friend in Washington, 
     buy a dog. The hardest thing in public life is not making 
     decisions, it is finding people you can trust to guide you 
     and encourage you to do the right thing.
       Senator Pryor: And that is a real challenge, because with 
     every senator, every congressman, and every other leader who 
     is here, we got to where we are because of our friends. 
     Someone described public service as being like cutting 
     flowers from a garden and putting them in a vase--they look 
     great, but before too long they need some nourishment.
       Senator Coleman: And for me that is what this breakfast and 
     our weekly breakfast group in the Senate is all about--
     putting back in what the job takes out. You should already 
     know by now that what you are experiencing is a very big 
     public version of what we experience privately on a personal 
     scale every week in the Senate and in the House. People from 
     all kinds of backgrounds come together to share a meal, 
     deepen our relations, pray to God for His guidance and 
     blessings, and look for the inspiration to live our faith 
     more completely. We would also like to provide a special 
     welcome to four heads of state who have honored us with their 
     presence. President Miro Jovic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Prime 
     Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam of Mauritius, Prime Minister 
     Said Musa of Belize, and King Abdullah bin al-Hussein II of 
     Jordan. (Applause.)
       Senator Pryor: We hope that this breakfast is an 
     encouragement to you to do similar things where you live. I 
     want to read a few verses from the gospel of John, chapter 
     21. It says:
       Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples by the Sea 
     of Tiberias. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, 
     but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He 
     called out to them, ``Friends, haven't you any fish?''
       ``No,'' they answered.
       He said, ``Throw your net on the right side of the boat and 
     you will find some.'' When they did, they were unable to haul 
     the net in because of the large number of fish.
       Jesus said to them, ``Bring some of the fish you have just 
     caught.''
       Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It 
     was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net 
     was not torn. Jesus said to them, ``Come and have 
     breakfast.''
       When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 
     ``Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?''
       ``Yes, Lord,'' he said, ``you know that I love you.''
       Jesus said, ``Feed my lambs.''
       Again Jesus said, ``Simon son of John, do you truly love 
     me?''
       He answered, ``Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.''
       And Jesus said, ``Take care of my sheep.''
       The third time he said to him, ``Simon son of John, do you 
     love me?''
       Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ``Do 
     you love me?'' He said, ``Lord, you know all things; you know 
     that I love you.''
       Jesus said, ``Feed my sheep.''
       That is the spirit in which we meet together today.
       Senator Coleman: I am a tennis player, but not a very good 
     one. I read somewhere that

[[Page 21974]]

     when you hit a tennis ball, it is only on the racket for a 
     tenth of a second. The rest is all backswing and follow-
     through. The prayer breakfast is like that. We are here for 
     just a moment, but the months and years of work that went 
     into this event is the backswing, and hopefully there will be 
     years of fruitful follow-through.
       Listen to the words of Psalm 100. May this be your 
     affirmation today as well.
       Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord 
     with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that 
     the Lord is God. It is he who made us and we are his; we are 
     his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with 
     thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him 
     and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love 
     endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all 
     generations.
       Senator Pryor: Amen to that. Norm, it has been a great 
     pleasure and joy for me to work with you on this prayer 
     breakfast, and seeing all these people it makes me feel like 
     we can do anything. What about next week we go in the office 
     and fix the federal budget deficit? (Laughter.)
       Senator Coleman: You know, Mark, miracles do happen. One of 
     my favorite quotes was from David Ben-Gurion, first Prime 
     Minister of Israel, who said, ``Anybody who doesn't believe 
     in miracles is not a realist.'' (Laughter.)
       Senator Pryor: Now to kick off the main part of the 
     program, I am going to introduce our second musical 
     selection. You've noticed we have music this morning. When 
     Moses led Israel out of Egypt, he also led them in song. King 
     David is recorded as writing and singing many, many songs. 
     The apostles of the first century are recorded on many 
     different occasions as singing songs. Music is an important 
     way in which we can express our faith. Point of Grace is four 
     young women with a passion for conveying the character of God 
     through music. This is a song about prayer and friendship 
     that expresses the heart of why we gather today. Ladies and 
     gentlemen, Point of Grace.
       [Point of Grace woman]: Thank you so much, Senator Pryor, 
     for inviting us to be here today. It is a great honor, to be 
     here with all of you to celebrate not only our faith but the 
     great friendship that we all share. This is called ``Circle 
     of Friends.''
       (Song.)
       Senator Barack Obama: Good morning. Mr. President, Madam 
     First Lady, our speaker today, Bono, for the outstanding work 
     you are doing. Thank you all for being here. I offer a 
     reading from the letters to the Romans, chapter 12, verses 3 
     through 12:
       ``For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do 
     not think of yourselves more highly than you ought, but 
     rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance 
     with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of 
     us has one body with many members, and these members do not 
     all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form 
     one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have 
     different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's 
     gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his 
     faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, 
     let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it 
     is contributing to the needs of others, let him give 
     generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; 
     if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. Love must 
     be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be 
     devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another 
     above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your 
     spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, 
     patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.''
       Praise be to God.
       Senator David Vitter: Good morning. I am David Vitter of 
     Louisiana.
       Senator Ken Salazar: Good morning. I am Ken Salazar from 
     Colorado.
       Senator Vitter: Ken and I both came to the U.S. Senate last 
     year.
       Senator Salazar: We came from different regions of the 
     country, different parties, and different perspectives on 
     some issues, but we were both drawn to the Senate prayer 
     breakfast.
       Senator Vitter: It is a truly wonderful refuge from the 
     bitter partisanship and win-at-any-cost atmosphere that, 
     unfortunately, we so often face outside that prayer circle.
       Senator Salazar: As I said, Senator Vitter and I are 
     members of the United States Senate breakfast. At that 
     breakfast we pray together, Democrats and Republicans alike, 
     and put aside what are sometimes very divisive and bitter 
     political and policy differences. There we focus on our 
     common humanity and our faith in God. And like many of my 
     Republican and Democratic colleagues in the U.S. Senate and 
     those of you in this distinguished audience today, I grew up 
     in a family and a community with a deep and abiding faith, 
     and with a desire to translate our values into the service of 
     our neighbors and into the betterment of our nation and our 
     world. My own faith begins with my family. My family founded 
     one of the first settlements in the New World, and named that 
     city Santa Fe, the City of Holy Faith, in New Mexico. Over 
     the more than four centuries since that time, my family has 
     sacrificed and endured through war, poverty, death and 
     discrimination. Yet during those four centuries, we have 
     survived because of our faith that all of God's children have 
     within their minds and their hearts the ability to create a 
     more perfect and better world with the freedom and intellect 
     endowed upon us by our Creator.
       As Jesus said in the book of John:
       ``If anyone says `I love God' and hates his neighbor, he is 
     a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen 
     cannot love God whom he has not seen.''
       Let us pledge today to redouble our efforts to mend the 
     rifts that too often exist between religious traditions, 
     nations and political parties. Let us remember the love of 
     neighbor and love of God are linked by an unbreakable bond, 
     and that our lives and our work should be motivated by love 
     and compassion for our fellow man.
       In closing I would like to share with you a prayer that is 
     very close to my heart, one that was created and given by 
     Cesar Chavez, the founder of the United Farm Workers of 
     America. There he says, ``Let the spirit flourish and grow, 
     so that we will never tire of the struggle. Let us remember 
     those who have died for justice, for they have given us life. 
     Help us love even those who hate us, so that we can change 
     the world.''
       In conclusion, a part of a prayer that my family has handed 
     down over the centuries goes as follows: Infinitas gracias 
     damos, por tus grandes beneficios que asi sin hacer servicio, 
     nos das mas que merecemos. This means, in general, ``We thank 
     you infinitely, oh God, for all the great blessings that you 
     have given us.''
       And today, God, we pray that you would continue to unite 
     our nation and our world.
       Senator Vitter: I guess my family are newcomers to this 
     country compared to Ken's. We came from France to Louisiana 
     in the latter 1800s, but we share the same deep, rich 
     Catholic faith. At the Senate prayer breakfast I have talked 
     about the very Catholic concept of grace. It is God's 
     blessing given from above, unearned, undeserved. It is a very 
     un-Washington concept that we are not in control. And prayer 
     breakfasts have also deepened my sense of the power of 
     prayer. Amazing things can happen when we truly acknowledge 
     that we are not in control and ask for God's grace, however 
     unearned and undeserved.
       These parts of my faith meant a lot to me this year, as we 
     were hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in my home state of 
     Louisiana and on the Gulf Coast. What better example of 
     humans not being in control. And they sustain me today as we 
     face the often overwhelming challenge of rebuilding, and the 
     even more worrisome thought that the country has forgotten or 
     moved on. So I call on that power of prayer this morning. I 
     ask for your real prayer commitment to the people of the Gulf 
     Coast. We all ask for God's grace, that He touch us, bless 
     us, awaken us to this and other great ongoing national 
     challenges. And I pray that we meet and not forget this test 
     of our national character here at home.
       U.S. Representative Lincoln Davis: Mr. President, First 
     Lady, speakers, and musicians, on behalf of the U.S. House of 
     Representatives and my congressional co-chair of the prayer 
     breakfast, we welcome you today. I want to give you a brief 
     history. In 1942 the prayer breakfast groups were inaugurated 
     in both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. 
     Later, in 1953, members of the Senate and House prayer groups 
     gathered together with President Eisenhower for prayer and 
     worship, to seek divine guidance for national leadership and 
     to reaffirm faith and dependence on God. This gathering 
     became known as the Presidential Prayer Breakfast until 1970, 
     when the name was changed to the National Prayer Breakfast in 
     order to put more emphasis on the gathering rather than the 
     individuals involved. In my mind this was a fitting thing to 
     do. And today, 64 years later, on the 54th anniversary of the 
     National Day of Prayer, we gather again to celebrate the 
     glory of faith. I am amazed at the amount of people who are 
     here from outside of our country, at this wonderful event, 
     highlighting the global nature of faith.
       I would like to thank all the members of Congress and both 
     the House and Senate who are here today. This last year has 
     been a wonderful time for me every Thursday morning as we 
     gather in the House restaurant, and I have served as co-
     chairman with the wonderful fellow, Coach, named Congressman 
     Tom Osborne. It has been a delight, and as we gather each 
     morning, as members of Congress share their lives, their 
     story about their family and their faith journey, it is one 
     of the best moments that we have.
       When I first came to Congress in January of 2003, I quickly 
     found that the weekly prayer breakfast, where I would join 
     with my colleagues giving thanks to the Lord and ask for 
     guidance in our work for the country, was my favorite hour of 
     the week. For this reason I have always looked forward to the 
     prayer breakfasts. However, I truly believe that any amount 
     of time we spend in prayer are the best moments of our life, 
     and it helps us to continue with our faith. Thank you for 
     joining us this morning. My good friend, Tom Osborne.
       U.S. Representative Tom Osborne: Thanks very much, Lincoln. 
     Mr. President and First Lady, it is good to be with you this 
     morning.

[[Page 21975]]

     I see a lot of politicians out there, and it reminds me of 
     this event I went to not long ago. There were these three 
     politicians, and one guy said to them: okay, let's get to the 
     bottom of this thing--let's suppose you guys are laid out in 
     your coffins and people are walking by and they're talking 
     about you, what one thing would you want them to say about 
     you? The first politician said, I'd want somebody to walk by 
     and look down and say: this was an honest man. The second 
     politician said, I'd want somebody to walk by and look down 
     and say: this was a great family man. The third politician 
     said, yeah, I'd want somebody to walk by and look down and 
     say: I think he's still moving. (Laughter.)
       Sometimes--at this time of the morning, that is about the 
     way you feel.
       Lincoln covered the House prayer breakfast very well. Each 
     Thursday, 30 to 40 of us meet together, and the speakers are 
     always members of Congress. The interesting thing is, people 
     share their lives and talk about their families and their 
     hopes and their aspirations and their struggles, it seems 
     that the labels begin to come off--Republican, Democrat, 
     liberal, conservative, and on and on. You begin to see the 
     person behind the mask and you begin to see people as they 
     really are. Every time I have come away from that breakfast, 
     I have had a great appreciation and usually a genuine love 
     for that person as I have heard them talk about their life.
       It has been an unwavering tradition that the only speakers 
     we have are members of Congress. But we were notified one day 
     that King Abdullah was going to come from Jordan, and, we 
     have had a senator or two come by but we have never had a 
     king before, so we didn't know what to do. We said, we had 
     better ask him to speak. And so he spoke, and it was really 
     an interesting morning, because he talked about his country, 
     he talked about things that were going on in the world, he 
     talked about the Koran, and then he talked about Jesus. It 
     was really a very meaningful time, because at that point I 
     began to realize that this person that we often put in a box, 
     and this person that often is so clearly identified with a 
     particular ideology, cuts across so many areas. And I know 
     that is why so many of you are here today from so many 
     countries, because of an interest in this particular topic.
       Lincoln and I wanted to thank you and welcome you this 
     morning, and we certainly hope that you will experience God's 
     presence here as we meet today, and that the world will be a 
     better place for our having been here. Thank you very much. 
     (Applause.)
       Senator Joseph Lieberman: Mr. President, Mrs. Bush, your 
     majesty King Abdullah, ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, 
     it is with great gratitude and joy that I greet you all, of 
     different faiths but all brothers and sisters in a shared 
     faith in God. In the language and spirit of the Hebrew Bible, 
     ``B'rukhim ha-baim b'Shem Adonai''--Blessed be those who have 
     come in the name of the Lord.
       I am greatly honored to have been asked this morning to 
     offer prayer for our national leaders. I pray that God will 
     open my lips so that my mouth may declare his praise.
       In Genesis 2:7 it is written that God formed the man of 
     dust from the ground, and he blew into his nostrils the soul 
     of life, and man became a living being. In 1776, God moved 
     the founding generation of Americans to breathe a soul into 
     their new land and make it a living nation, when they 
     acknowledged the self-evident truth that there is a Creator, 
     and that he created us all equal, and that we are all endowed 
     by our Creator with unalienable rights, including among them 
     the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, 
     and that governments are formed to secure those rights. That 
     declaration gave America not only its independence but its 
     purpose. And it was not just a national purpose but a global 
     purpose, because God's endowment of those rights was truly 
     not just to Americans but to all the men, women and children 
     of His creation. So I pray this morning that God will bless 
     America, and each American, as we work to advance our faith-
     based purposes; to unite all of God's children here at home 
     and throughout the world; to support the causes of freedom, 
     opportunity, unity and hope, and defeat the evils of 
     oppression, poverty, illness, hatred and fear.
       We pray, Lord, that you will hold our president and his 
     family and all national leaders in your hands, and protect 
     them and us as they lead us forward to achieve the humane and 
     universal mission you have given us, so that together we may 
     come to the day when the mountains will be made low and the 
     valleys will be raised up, when the crooked places will be 
     made straight and the rough places smooth. For on that day, 
     which we all pray and work for, the earth will surely be full 
     of the glory of God. Amen. (Applause.)
       Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison: I am Senator Kay Bailey 
     Hutchison from Texas. Mr. President, First Lady Laura, King 
     Abdullah, Heads of State, and all distinguished visitors from 
     around the world and from our wonderful country. As 
     religious, community and political leaders, we deal with the 
     most difficult problems our people face. Complete success 
     frequently proves illusive, and the victories we do achieve 
     often come with setbacks and failures. A passage that renews 
     my energy and restores my focus is Second Corinthians chapter 
     4, verses 16 to 18:
       ``Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are 
     wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 
     For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an 
     eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes 
     not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen 
     is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.'' (Applause.)
       Admiral Michael G. Mullen: Good morning, Mr. President, 
     Mrs. Bush, other distinguished Heads of State, and 
     distinguished visitors. I am Admiral Mike Mullen, I am the 
     Chief of Naval Operations and this morning I represent the 
     Joint Chiefs of Staff. I am honored to be here and to have 
     this opportunity. I have been asked to say a few words about 
     myself which I don't do well but I will give it a shot. I 
     like to describe myself as a husband and father, an American, 
     a sailor in the United States Navy, and a naval officer, in 
     that order. I have been married for 35 years to my partner 
     for life, Deborah, and we are very proud of our two sons, 
     Jack and Michael, currently serving on active duty in the 
     Navy. I am originally from Los Angeles, son of hard-working 
     parents who moved out west after the Depression in search of 
     a better life. They found it there and gave it to me. I hold 
     their memories dear. Born and raised a Catholic, I also hold 
     my faith dear. I know its enormous power, have seen it with 
     my own eyes during countless visits with soldiers, sailors, 
     airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen employed in harm's way. 
     Just like the power of prayer, faith can move mountains. This 
     morning I ask you to join me. I would like to offer a prayer 
     for our world's leaders.
       Father in heaven, we gather in prayer today to ask your 
     blessing over the lives and decisions of those who lead 
     nations around the world. It is a time of great challenge and 
     great adversity. Theirs is an especially mighty task and a 
     deeply noble calling. For upon the shoulders of our leaders 
     rests the hopes and the dreams of billions of people. From 
     the pen and from the podium, they direct the future not only 
     of this generation but of generations yet unborn. May you 
     guide them in that pursuit, oh Lord, and give them strength. 
     Help them serve with integrity and with compassion. Help them 
     choose love over hate, courage over fear, principle over 
     expediency. Let them find new and even better ways to be 
     providers and peace makers. Let them be guided from the 
     wisdom found in Romans 12, which tells us, ``Do not be 
     conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of 
     your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God. Let 
     love be genuine, hate what is evil, hold fast to what is 
     good. Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what 
     is noble in the sight of all.''
       In the sight of all, oh Lord, let our leaders be noble and 
     learn from your example. Let them realize that to be right 
     with you is to be right. And finally, from this sailor to the 
     One who made the seas, be pleased to guide the ships of state 
     to safe harbor. In the face of storms and shoals and fainting 
     hearts, we trust you with everything we have, everything we 
     are, and everything we hope to be. You not only chart our 
     course, you help us hold the tiller. You brave the waves and 
     calm the waters. You really are Emmanuel, God with us. May 
     that truth be known today to those who lead our nations. With 
     grateful hearts we pray, Amen.
       Senator Coleman: There are a lot of Catholics on this 
     program. Mr. President, I thought they were all on the 
     Supreme Court. (Laughter.)
       In my day, I have introduced the president, I once 
     introduced Dr. Billy Graham, but as a former roadie for the 
     60s rock band Ten Years After, this ranks right up there as 
     one of the high points of my introducing career. Mark and I 
     were joking about this earlier, this kind of makes us the 
     rhetorical warm-up act for U2. (Laughter.)
       Our message today comes from a person who has gotten the 
     attention of the world by walking with God, talking about 
     things that matter, and letting his light shine. He is an 
     extraordinary musician, charismatic leader, and is 
     unabashedly, uniquely himself. We have an expression that a 
     celebrity is a person who is famous for being famous. But our 
     speaker this morning is known around the world as a person of 
     conscience, a person of influence, but most of all, a person 
     of faith. His organization is called DATA--Debt, AIDS, Trade 
     in Africa. They are working to bring people, organizations, 
     leaders and politicians together to make a unified effort to 
     change the future of Africa.
       He has come to challenge us, to reach across the 
     boundaries, to care for the poor and to walk the talk of our 
     faith. Ladies and gentlemen, Bono. (Applause.)
       Bono: Thank you very much. Thank you Mr. President, First 
     Lady, King Abdullah, other heads of state, distinguished 
     guests. Please join me in praying that I don't say something 
     we will all regret. That was for the FCC.
       If you are wondering what I am doing here at a prayer 
     breakfast, well so am I. I am certainly not here as a man of 
     the cloth, unless that cloth is leather. And I am certainly 
     not here because I am a rock star, which leaves only one 
     possible explanation: I have got a messianic complex. It is 
     true. And to anyone who knows me, it is hardly a revelation.

[[Page 21976]]

       I am the first to admit that there is something unnatural, 
     something even unseemly about rock stars mounting the pulpit 
     and preaching at presidents, then disappearing to their 
     villas in the south of France. Talk about a fish out of 
     water. It was weird enough to have Jesse Helms come to a rock 
     show. But, this is really weird, isn't it?
       One of the things I love about this country is the 
     separation of Church and State--although I have to say in 
     inviting me here both Church and State have been separated 
     from something else completely: their mind!
       Mr. President, are you sure about this? It is very 
     humbling, and I will try to keep my homily brief. But be 
     warned: I am Irish.
       I would like to talk about the laws of man, here in this 
     city, where those laws are written. I would like to talk 
     about higher laws. It would be great to assume that one 
     serves the other, that the laws of man serve these higher 
     laws, but of course they don't always. I presume, in a way, 
     that that is why you are all here. I presume the reason for 
     this gathering is that all of us here--Muslims, Jews, 
     Christians--are searching our souls for how to better serve 
     our family, our community, our nation, our God. And some of 
     us are not very good examples, despite what Norm says.
       I am certainly searching, and that, I suppose, is what led 
     me here. Yes, it is odd, having a rock star at the breakfast. 
     But maybe it is odder for me than for you, because, you see, 
     I have avoided religious people most of my life. Maybe it has 
     something to do with my having a father who was a Protestant 
     and a mother who was a Catholic in a country where the line 
     between the two was, quite literally, often a battle line; 
     where the line between Church and State was, at the very 
     least, a little blurry and hard to see.
       I remember how my mother would bring us to chapel on 
     Sundays and my father used to wait outside. One of the things 
     that I picked up from my father and my mother was the sense 
     that religion often gets in the way of God. For me, at least, 
     it got in the way, seeing what religious people, in the name 
     of God, did to my native land. And even in this country, 
     seeing God's second-hand car salesmen on the TV cable 
     channels offering indulgences for cash. In fact, all over the 
     world, seeing the self-righteous roll down like a mighty 
     stream from certain corners of the religious establishment. I 
     must confess, I changed the channel. I wanted my MTV.
       So, even though I was a believer, and perhaps because I was 
     a believer, I was cynical--not about God, but about God's 
     politics.
       In 1997, a couple of eccentric septuagenarian British 
     Christians went and ruined my shtick, my reproachfulness. 
     They did it by describing the Millennium, the year 2000, as a 
     Jubilee year; as an opportunity to cancel the chronic debts 
     of the world's poorest people. They had the audacity to renew 
     the Lord's call and were joined by Pope John Paul II, who, 
     from an Irish half-Catholic's point of view, may have had a 
     little more of a direct line to the Almighty, to declare the 
     Year of Jubilee.
       So Jubilee. Why Jubilee? What was this Year of Jubilee, 
     this year of our Lord's favor? I had always read the 
     Scriptures, actually, even the obscure stuff. There it was in 
     Leviticus 25:35:
       ``If your brother becomes poor, and cannot maintain 
     himself, you shall maintain him. You shall not lend him your 
     money at interest, nor give him your food for profit.''
       Jubilee is such an important idea that Jesus begins his 
     ministry with this. Jesus is a young man, he has met with the 
     rabbis, he has impressed everybody, people are talking. The 
     elders say, he is a clever guy, this Jesus, but, he has not 
     done much, yet. He has not spoken in public before. When he 
     does, his first words are from Isaiah: ``The Spirit of the 
     Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to preach the good 
     news to the poor.'' And Jesus proclaims the year of the 
     Lord's favor, the year of Jubilee in Luke 4:18. What he was 
     really talking about was an era of grace, and we are still in 
     it.
       So fast-forward 2,000 years. That same thought--grace--is 
     now incarnate in a movement of all kinds of people. It was 
     not a bless-me club, it was not a holy huddle. These 
     religious guys were willing to get out in the streets, get 
     their boots dirty, wave the placards, follow their 
     convictions with actions, making it really hard for people 
     like me to keep our distance--ruining my shtick. I almost 
     started to like these church people.
       But then my cynicism got another helping hand. It was what 
     Colin Powell, a five-star general, called the greatest W.M.D. 
     of them all: a tiny little virus called A.I.D.S. And the 
     religious community, in large part, missed it. The ones that 
     did not miss it could only see it as divine retribution for 
     bad behavior--even on children? Even if the fastest-growing 
     group of HIV infections were married, faithful women?
       Ah, there they go, I thought to myself. Judgmentalism is 
     back. But in truth, I was wrong again. The Church was slow 
     but the Church got busy on this the leprosy of our age. Love 
     was on the move. Mercy was on the move. God was on the move. 
     Moving people of all kinds to work with others they had never 
     met, never would have cared to meet. We had conservative 
     church groups hanging out with spokesmen from the gay 
     community, all singing off the same hymn sheet on AIDS. See, 
     miracles do happen. And we had hip-hop stars and country 
     stars. This is what happens when God gets on the move. Crazy, 
     crazy stuff happens. Popes were seen wearing sunglasses! 
     Jesse Helms had a ghetto blaster now! Evidence of the Spirit 
     moving--it was breathtaking. It literally stopped the world 
     in its tracks.
       When churches started demonstrating on debt, governments 
     listened--and acted. When churches started organizing, 
     petitioning, and even that most unholy of acts today, God 
     forbid, lobbying on AIDS and global health, governments 
     listened--and acted. I am here today in all humility to say: 
     you changed minds, you changed policy, and you changed the 
     world. So thank you. (Applause.)
       Check Judaism. Check Islam. Check pretty much anyone. God 
     may well be with us in our mansions on the hill. I hope so. 
     He may well be with us in all manner of controversial stuff. 
     Maybe, maybe not. But the one thing we can all agree on--all 
     faiths, all ideologies--is that God is with the vulnerable 
     and poor. God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where 
     the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who 
     has infected her child with a virus that will end both their 
     lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God 
     is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is 
     with us if we are with them. (Applause.)
       ``If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of 
     the finger and the speaking of wickedness, and if you give 
     yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the 
     afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your 
     gloom will become like midday, and the Lord will continually 
     guide you and satisfy your desire even in scorched places.''
       It is not a coincidence that in the Scriptures poverty is 
     mentioned more than 2,100 times. It is not an accident. That 
     is a lot of air time. The only time Jesus Christ is 
     judgmental is on the subject of the poor, Matthew 25:40: ``As 
     you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you 
     have done it unto me.''
       As I say, good news to the poor. Here is some good news for 
     you, Mr. President. After 9-11, we were told America would 
     have no time for the world's poor. We were told America would 
     be taken up with its own problems of safety. And while it is 
     true that these are dangerous times, America has not drawn 
     the blinds and double-locked the doors. In fact, you have 
     doubled aid to Africa. You have tripled funding for global 
     health. And Mr. President, your emergency plan for AIDS 
     relief and support of the Global Fund--yours' and Congress'--
     have put 700,000 people onto life-saving anti-retroviral 
     drugs and provided eight million bed nets to protect children 
     from malaria. (Applause.)
       Outstanding human achievements. Counterintuitive, I think 
     you will admit, but historic. You should be very, very proud. 
     But here is the bad news: There is so much more to do. There 
     is a gigantic chasm between the scale of the emergency and 
     the scale of the response.
       And finally--getting to higher levels, higher callings--
     this is not about charity in the end, is it? It is about 
     justice, the good news yet to come. I just want to repeat 
     that: This is not about charity, it is about justice. And 
     that is too bad. Because we are good at charity. Americans as 
     well as the Irish are good at charity. We like to give and we 
     give a lot, even those who cannot afford it. But justice is a 
     higher standard. Africa makes a fool of our idea of justice; 
     it makes a farce of our idea of equality. It mocks our 
     pieties, it doubts our concern, and it questions our 
     commitment. 6,500 Africans are still dying every day of 
     preventable, treatable disease, for lack of drugs we can buy 
     at any drugstore. This is not about charity; this is about 
     justice and equality. Because there is no way we can look at 
     what is happening in Africa and, if we are honest, conclude 
     that deep down, we would let it happen anywhere else, if we 
     really accepted that Africans are equal to us. And I say that 
     humbled in the company of a man with an African father.
       Look at what happened in Southeast Asia with the Tsunami. 
     150,000 lives lost to the greatest misnomer of all misnomers, 
     Mother Nature. Well, in Africa, 150,000 lives are lost every 
     month--a tsunami every month. And it is a completely 
     avoidable catastrophe.
       It is annoying, but justice and equality are mates, aren't 
     they? Justice always wants to hang out with equality. And 
     equality is a real pain.
       You think of these Jewish sheep-herders going to meet with 
     the Pharaoh, mud on their shoes, and the Pharaoh goes, 
     ``Equal? Equal?'' And they say, ``Yeah, that is what it says 
     here in the Book--we are all made in the image of God, sir.'' 
     Eventually the Pharaoh says, ``Look, I can accept that. I can 
     accept the Jews--but not the blacks. Not the women. Not the 
     gays. Not the Irish. No way.'' So on we go with the journey 
     of equality. On we go in the pursuit of justice.
       We hear that call in the ONE Campaign, a growing movement 
     of more than two million Americans--five million by the next 
     election, I can promise you--united in the belief that where 
     you live should no longer determine whether you live.
       We hear that call even more powerfully today, when we mourn 
     the loss of Coretta Scott King, mother of a movement for 
     equality, one that changed the world but is only really 
     getting started, because these issues

[[Page 21977]]

     are as alive as they ever were; they just change shape and 
     they cross the seas.
       Preventing the poorest of the poor from selling their 
     products while we sing the virtues of the free market--that 
     is not charity, that is a justice issue. Holding children to 
     ransom for the debts of their grandparents--that is not 
     charity, that is a justice issue. Withholding life-saving 
     medicines out of deference to the Office of Patents--that is 
     not charity, that is a justice issue. And while the law is 
     what we say it is, God is not silent on the subject. That is 
     why I say there are laws of the land and then there is a 
     higher standard. And we can hire experts to write them so 
     they benefit us, so that these laws say that it is okay to 
     protect our agriculture but it is not okay for African 
     farmers to protect their agriculture, to earn a living. As 
     the laws of man are written, that is what they say. But God 
     will not accept that. Mine will not. Will yours?
       I close this morning on very thin ice, probably. This is a 
     dangerous idea I have put on the table here: my God versus 
     your God, their God versus our God, versus no God. It is very 
     easy in these times to see religion as a force for division 
     rather than unity. And Washington is a town that knows 
     something of division. But the reason I am here, and the 
     reason I keep coming back, is because Washington is a town 
     that is proving it can come together on behalf of what the 
     Scriptures call ``the least of these.'' It is not a 
     Republican idea, it is not a Democratic idea, it is not even, 
     with all due respect, an American idea, nor is it unique to 
     any one faith.
       ``Do to others as you would have them do to you.'' Jesus 
     says that.
       ``Righteousness is this: that one should give away wealth 
     out of love for Him to the near of kin and to the orphans and 
     the needy and the wayfarer and the beggars and for the 
     emancipation of the captives.'' The Koran says that.
       ``Thus sayeth the Lord: Bring the homeless poor into your 
     house. When you see the naked, cover him. Then your light 
     will break out like the dawn and your recovery will spring 
     forth speedily; then the Lord will be your rear guard.'' The 
     Jewish Scripture says that. Isaiah 58 again. It is a very 
     powerful incentive: The Lord will watch your back. Sounds 
     like a good deal to me, especially right now. (Applause.)
       A number of years ago, I met a wise man who changed my 
     life, in countless ways, big and small. I was always seeking 
     the Lord's blessing. I would be saying, look, I have got a 
     new song, look after it. I have a family, and I am going away 
     on tour, please look after them. I have this crazy idea, 
     could I have a blessing on it. And this wise man asked me to 
     stop. He said stop asking God to bless what you are doing. 
     Get involved in what God is doing, because it is already 
     blessed.
       Let's get involved in what God is doing. God, as I say, is 
     always with the poor. That is what God is doing, and that is 
     what He is calling us to do.
       I was amazed when I first got to this country and I learned 
     how much some churchgoers tithe: up to ten percent of the 
     family budget. How does that compare with the federal budget, 
     the budget for the entire American family? How much of that 
     goes to the poorest people in the world? It is less than one 
     percent of the federal budget.
       Mr. President, Congress, people of faith, people of 
     America, I want to suggest to you today that you see the flow 
     of effective foreign assistance as tithing, which to be truly 
     meaningful will mean an additional one percent of the federal 
     budget tithed to the poor. And what is that one percent that 
     we are asking for in the ONE campaign? It is not merely a 
     number on a balance reader pulled out of the air. One percent 
     is the girl in Africa who gets to go to school, thanks to 
     you. One percent is the AIDS patient who gets her medicine, 
     thanks to you. One percent is the African entrepreneur who 
     can start a small family business, thanks to you. One percent 
     is not redecorating presidential palaces. One percent must 
     not be--or do not give it--money down a rat hole. This one 
     percent is digging waterholes to provide clean water, like I 
     saw with Bill Frist in Uganda. That is what we are asking 
     for. (Applause.)
       One percent is a new partnership with Africa, not 
     paternalism towards Africa, where increased assistance flows 
     toward improved governance and initiatives with proven track 
     records and away from the boondoggles and white elephants 
     that we have seen before.
       America gives less than one percent now. We are asking for 
     an extra one percent to change the world, to transform 
     millions of lives--and I say this to the military men now not 
     just transform hundreds of thousands of communities, indeed 
     millions, but transform the way they see us, which might be 
     smart in these dangerous times. One percent is national 
     security. One percent is enlightened economic self-interest, 
     and a better, safer world rolled into one. Sounds to me that 
     in this town of deals and compromises, one percent is the 
     best bargain around.
       Thank you very much. (Applause.)
       Senator Pryor: Thank you.
       You may know, friends, that the National Prayer Breakfast 
     came into being as a way to support and encourage the 
     president and his family. Back in the 1950s, newly elected 
     Dwight Eisenhower declared to a close friend in the Senate, 
     ``I live in the loneliest house in the world.'' President 
     Eisenhower was invited to be part of a small, private Senate 
     breakfast group which is still meeting today. At some point 
     one of the people in that group declared, ``It sure would be 
     an encouragement to the nation to know we are meeting like 
     this.'' And so the first National Prayer Breakfast was held. 
     The model of leaders meeting in private to share their lives, 
     their testimony, and to pray has spread, and this is 
     spreading to scores of nations around the world.
       This morning we are honored to have our first couple with 
     us. Mrs. Bush, we want to express the comfort and reassurance 
     we have felt from your loving personality. Thank you. 
     (Applause.)
       And now, Mr. President, we want you to know that we all 
     pray for you. The awesome burdens you carry are beyond 
     anything any of us can even imagine. We thank you for being a 
     man of real faith and of prayer. It is evident that this is a 
     deep, personal faith. And I want to thank you for encouraging 
     people of faith to take a larger role in our society. I 
     remember the story of the people coming around Moses, to hold 
     up his arms as he led the people. We have come here today to 
     do that for you.
       Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce the 
     President of the United States.
       President George W. Bush: Thank you all. (Applause.)
       Thanks for the warm welcome. Laura and I are delighted to 
     be here. This lovely personality said this morning: keep your 
     remarks short. (Laughter.)
       I appreciate this prayer breakfast a lot, and I appreciate 
     the spirit in which it was formed. Ike said he was living in 
     the loneliest house in America--but what he forgot to say is: 
     the rent is pretty good. (Laughter.)
       It is great to be here with distinguished guests from all 
     around the world. Your Majesty and Prime Ministers and former 
     Prime Ministers, friends with whom I have the honor to work, 
     you are welcome here. I appreciate the fact that people from 
     different walks of life, different faiths have joined us. Yet 
     I believe we share one thing in common: We are united in our 
     dedication to peace and tolerance and humility before the 
     Almighty. (Applause.)
       I want to thank Senators Pryor and Coleman for putting on 
     this breakfast. I appreciate Senator Frist, Representative 
     Blunt, Representative Pelosi, other members of the United 
     States Congress who have joined us on the dais and who are 
     here for this breakfast. I thank the members of my Cabinet 
     who are here. Get back to work. Laughter.)
       I find it interesting that the music is from Arkansas. 
     (Laughter.) I am glad it is, because they know how to sing 
     down there. (Laughter.)
       I was trying to figure out what to say about Bono, and a 
     story jumped to mind about this really good Texas preacher. 
     And he got going in a sermon and a fellow jumped up in the 
     back and said, ``Use me, Lord, use me.'' The preacher ignored 
     him and finished his sermon. The next Sunday, the preacher 
     gets up and is cranking on another sermon when the guy jumps 
     up again and says, ``Use me, Lord, use me.'' After the 
     service, the preacher walked up to him and said, ``If you're 
     serious, I'd like for you to paint the pews.'' Next Sunday, 
     he's preaching, the guy stands up and says, ``Use me, Lord, 
     use me, but only in an advisory capacity.'' (Laughter.)
       So I have gotten to know Bono. (Laughter.) He is a doer. 
     The thing about this good citizen of the world is that he has 
     used his position to get things done. You are an amazing guy, 
     Bono. God bless you. (Applause.)
       It is fitting we have a National Prayer Breakfast, because 
     our nation is a nation of prayer. In America, we do not 
     prescribe any prayer. We welcome all prayer. We are a nation 
     founded by men and women who came to these shores seeking to 
     worship the Almighty freely. From these prayerful beginnings 
     God has greatly blessed the American people, and through our 
     prayers we give thanks to the true source of our blessings.
       Americans remain a prayerful people today. I know this 
     firsthand. I cannot tell you the number of times while 
     traveling out there in our country, people walk up, total 
     strangers, and say, Mr. President, I am praying for you and 
     your family. It is one of the great blessings of the 
     presidency, and one of the most wonderful gifts a person can 
     give any of us who have the responsibility to govern justly. 
     So I thank my fellow citizens for their gracious prayers and 
     wonderful gifts.
       Every day, millions of Americans pray for the safety of our 
     troops, for the protection of innocent life, and for the 
     peace we all hope for. Americans continue to pray for the 
     recovery of the wounded, and to pray for the Almighty's 
     comfort on those who have lost a loved one. We give thanks 
     daily for the brave and decent men and women who wear our 
     nation's uniform, and we thank their families as well.
       In this country we recognize prayer is a gift from God to 
     every human being. It is a gift that allows us to come before 
     our Maker with heartfelt requests and our deepest hopes. 
     Prayer reminds us of our place in God's creation. It reminds 
     us that when we

[[Page 21978]]

     bow our heads or fall to our knees, we are all equal and 
     precious in the eyes of the Almighty.
       In prayer, we are reminded that we are never alone in our 
     personal trials or individual suffering. In prayer, we offer 
     our thanksgiving and praise, recognizing our lives, our 
     talents and all that we own ultimately flow from the Creator. 
     And in these moments of our deepest gratitude, the Almighty 
     reminds us that for those to whom much has been given, much 
     is required.
       In prayer, we open ourselves to God's priority, especially 
     His charge to feed the hungry, to reach out to the poor, to 
     bring aid to the widow or the orphan. By surrendering our 
     will to God's will, we learn to serve His eternal purposes. 
     Through prayer, our faith is strengthened, our hearts are 
     humbled and our lives are transformed. Prayer encourages us 
     to go out into the world and serve.
       In our country we recognize our fellow citizens are free to 
     profess any faith they choose, or no faith at all. You are 
     equally American if you are a Jew or a Christian or Muslim. 
     You are equally American if you choose not to have faith. It 
     is important America never forget the great freedom to 
     worship as you so choose. (Applause.)
       What I have found in our country, that whatever our faith, 
     millions of Americans answer the universal call to love your 
     neighbor just like you would like to be loved yourself. Over 
     the past five years we have been inspired by the ways that 
     millions of Americans have answered that call. In the face of 
     terrorist attacks and devastating natural disasters here and 
     around the world, the American people have shown their faith 
     in action again and again. After Katrina, volunteers from 
     churches and mosques and synagogues and other faith-based and 
     community groups opened up their hearts and their homes to 
     the displaced. We saw an outpouring of compassion after the 
     earthquake in Pakistan and the tsunami that devastated entire 
     communities. We live up to God's calling when we provide help 
     for HIV/AIDS victims on the continent of Africa and around 
     the world. In millions of acts of kindness, we have seen the 
     good heart of America.
       The true strength of this country is not in our military 
     might or in the size of our wallet, it is in the hearts and 
     souls of the American people. (Applause.)
       I was struck by the comment of a fellow who was rescued 
     from the Gulf Coast and given shelter. He said, ``I didn't 
     think there was so much love in the world.''
       This morning we come together to recognize the source of 
     that great love. We come together before the Almighty in 
     prayer, to reflect on God's will, to seek His aid, and to 
     respond to His grace.
       I want to thank you for the fine tradition you continue 
     here today. I pray that our nation will always have the 
     humility to commend our cares to Providence and trust in the 
     goodness of His plans.
       May God bless you all. (Applause.)
       Senator Coleman: Thank you, Mr. President. Senator Pryor 
     said that we all pray for you and we want to reiterate that. 
     We know that prayer changes people and prayer changes 
     history, and we send you and the First Lady off with our love 
     and gratitude for spending time with us this morning. We 
     promise to pray like all depends on our prayers. God bless 
     the President and his wife.
       We are now going to have a concluding song.
       (Song.) [``Waiting in the Wings.''] (Applause.)
       Senator Coleman: Ladies and gentlemen, Point of Grace.
       Senator Pryor: It has been a great morning, hasn't it? 
     (Applause.)
       One of the highlights of the year of preparation for this 
     prayer breakfast was for Norm and me to place a phone call to 
     Dr. Billy Graham. And, as most of you know, he was deeply 
     involved, and has been deeply involved, in many prayer 
     breakfasts, especially the early ones. In years past he has 
     been very involved in the National Prayer Breakfast and has 
     helped us develop this model over the last 54 years.
       Senator Coleman: We were asking if Dr. Graham could be with 
     us this morning to say our closing prayer but he said that 
     his health would not allow him to travel. But he wanted us 
     all to greet you in the name of the Lord and he said that he 
     would be right here with us praying. He is a national 
     treasure, and we know his prayers have been answered today. 
     We ask that God would sustain him and continue to give him 
     voice to bring our nation and our world together.
       And now we have a very special moment to conclude in 
     prayer. When we began to put this breakfast together 
     beginning almost a year ago, our prayer was that it not just 
     be another annual event, but that it address the deepest 
     needs of the world that are unique to this moment in time and 
     history. In the messages we have heard from Bono and the 
     President, we have touched the heart of the world situation 
     today. In addition, we would like all to welcome to the 
     podium a very distinguished guest, a courageous leader in the 
     pursuit of peace in the Middle East, King Abdullah bin al-
     Hussein II of Jordan. Your Majesty, please join us up here. 
     (Applause.)
       King Abdullah bin al-Hussein II: Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-
     Rahim--In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
       My friend Bono, Senator Coleman, Senator Pryor, all of you, 
     thank you very much for the honor to stand with you today, as 
     a brother with people of faith, to reaffirm our common values 
     and beliefs. The principles that we gather to recognize today 
     are grounded in the firmest of foundations, our scriptural 
     heritage.
       For Muslims, the essence of the Koran is its opening 
     chapter, Al-Fatiha, each of whose verses echoes the teachings 
     of the Torah and the Gospels. The Koran begins, ``In the name 
     of God, the Infinitely Good, the All-Merciful.'' This 
     reflects the famous verse of the Psalms, ``We will remember 
     the name of our Lord.'' The next line of the Koran, ``Praise 
     be to God, the Lord of the worlds'' reminds us of the words 
     of the Psalm, ``Let every thing that has breath praise the 
     Lord.'' The following line, ``the Infinitely Good, the All-
     Merciful,'' reaffirms the Psalm ``gracious is the Lord and 
     righteous.'' Yes, our God is merciful. The Koran then 
     confirms that God is master of the day of judgment, as does 
     the Good Book: ``He has prepared his throne for judgment. He 
     shall judge the world in righteousness.''
       The last three lines of the Fatiha are supplication. ``Thee 
     we worship and Thee we ask for help. Guide us upon the 
     straight path, the path of those on whom is Thy grace, not 
     those upon whom is anger nor those who are astray.'' This 
     recalls the final words that Jesus--may peace and blessings 
     be upon him--taught us in the Lord's Prayer: ``And lead us 
     not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is 
     the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. 
     Amen.''
       I now ask you all to join in a special prayer for the 
     Middle East, that not one more generation will grow up 
     knowing conflict and injustice, nor suffer from poverty or 
     oppression; that not one more family will lose a loved one to 
     war and bitterness; and that together, Muslim, Jew and 
     Christian, we can create a new future for the Holy Land, a 
     future of hope, a future of promise, a future of peace.
       Let us remember the words of Amos, the words that Dr. 
     Martin Luther King urged for all peoples and all time: ``Let 
     justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a 
     mighty stream.'' Thank you very much. (Applause.)
       Senator Pryor: Let us pray. Lord, we are grateful for your 
     presence among us. You made us and you love us, so to be in 
     your presence is what our lives are all about. We stand as 
     people from all walks of life, many backgrounds and 
     traditions, as a circle of friends. We know your love waits 
     in the wings, and we ask you to bring it onto the world 
     stage. We grieve for our fellow human beings who suffer the 
     pain and hardship and bereavement of war and disease. We pray 
     especially for the children. May they somehow escape the 
     destruction, the mental scars that would lead them to want to 
     make war in their own adulthood. Lord, as your servant the 
     King has asked, we pray for the peace of the Middle East. We 
     pray that you would restrain the forces of evil, and raise up 
     and propel forward the leaders of peace.
       Senator Coleman: Lord, we pray for the people of Africa. We 
     pray that we would each individually in our roles as leaders 
     allow our hearts to be broken by the things that break the 
     heart of the Lord. May we join together in medical solutions 
     and financial solutions and economic solutions which rescue 
     that continent from the problems that it has. We thank you 
     for the joy and faith of the African people. May their 
     example of grace in the face of suffering inspire us all. And 
     Lord, that which we pray for, give us the strength to work 
     for. And together may we say the ancient benediction from the 
     Torah: The Lord bless you and keep you.
       Senator Pryor: The Lord make his face shine upon you and be 
     gracious to you.
       Senators Coleman and Pryor: The Lord turn his face toward 
     you and give you peace. And all of God's people together 
     said: Amen.
       Senator Coleman: Thank you all for coming and go in peace. 
     (Applause.)

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