[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 21]
[House]
[Pages 29412-29413]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          NATIONAL BIBLE WEEK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that I come after the 
gentleman from Missouri, because before leaving home down in South 
Carolina this morning, I went to dedicate a water project in a part of 
my State where they have a real problem with potable water, and 
extensive health problems as well. During that ceremony, it was asked 
of me what kind of guarantee that I have that this water project would 
be seen to fruition. This morning we were dedicating the first phase. 
There are two others.
  In answering the question, I referred to the greatest of all books, 
the Bible.

[[Page 29413]]

I referred to the Book of Hebrew, the 11th chapter. I call that the 
faith chapter of the Bible. I quoted Hebrew 11.1: Faith, the substance 
of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. I quoted that 
because in our work here, much of the time, though we don't view our 
work as being grounded in the Bible, we often strike out on faith. We 
have a little idea sometimes of exactly where any issue is going. I do 
believe that as we carry out our duties and responsibilities to the 
people of this great Nation, sometimes we ought to pause and give 
credence to where that emanates from.
  So I am pleased that my good friend from Illinois asked me to come 
down tonight and to join in this special order commemorating the Bible 
during National Bible Week. When I was growing up, my father, who was a 
fundamentalist minister, never asked me to read the Bible, never 
instructed me to do so. He just told me every morning at the breakfast 
table to recite a Bible verse. Now, it would be a little difficult to 
do that without reading the Bible. He made sure that we didn't do the 
same one twice. Daddy set down the rule. He took Jesus' whip off the 
table. So it was very, very important for me to read the Bible daily.
  He also had a second rule, and that is that every night before 
retiring to bed, we had to share with our parents, or one of them, some 
current event. He would often have ways of showing us how that 
particular event that we may have shared was grounded in the Good Book.
  So long before I became House Majority Whip, I assumed the leadership 
of the Democrats' Faith Working Group. For the last 3 years now, Mr. 
Speaker, it has been my great joy to work with the members of our 
caucus, trying to get our membership comfortable with the fact that our 
work here is in fact faith-based.
  If you doubt it, then I ask all of my colleagues to just take a look 
at my favorite book of the Bible, the Book of James. It has got nothing 
to do with my name, though that would not be a bad thing. It's a very 
short book, but it tells us a lot about our responsibility. There, in 
the second chapter of James, we are all instructed that if your brother 
or sister comes to you hungry and naked, it is not enough to tell them 
to go in faith; you feed them and you clothe them.
  That is what this Congress is all about. This Congress is about doing 
those things that are necessary to make sure that our constituents and 
make sure that our citizens are fed that need to be fed or clothed that 
need to be clothed. I do believe if James were writing his epistle 
today, he would also tell us it is also important to house them when 
they need shelter.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, this year the week of November 18-24th has 
been designated ``National Bible Week,'' a week to renew our interest 
in the Bible and to recognize the influence that the Bible has had in 
our lives and on our nation throughout its history.
  As a child growing up in West Virginia, I was encouraged by my father 
to read the Bible daily, because he found such solace and comfort in 
the Word. As Paul wrote in Philippians 4:13, ``I have learned the 
secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or 
hungry, whether living in plenty or in want, I can do everything 
through Christ who gives me strength.''
  Knowing this soothes and comforts my soul in times of distress. It is 
my guiding light that keeps me centered and focused and I derive great 
joy from reading the scriptures during my time of mediation and 
reflection.
  Today, God's Word written in the Holy Scriptures of the Bible is 
important to me both as an individual and as a leader. It is the Bible 
that guides me through the day, as I seek to make decisions that will 
affect people in my state and in our nation--decisions that require a 
wisdom that is found throughout the Old and New Testaments of the 
Bible.
  It is the Word of God written in the Bible that gives me the 
fortitude I need to carry out my responsibilities as a friend, a 
father, a husband, and a Congressman. The Bible provides the wisdom to 
know how to respond to my family and constituents during times of dire 
crisis.
  For these reasons, and many more, I thank God that we have a manual 
for our daily living in the Bible.
  As we face the unforeseen challenges that lie ahead, both at home and 
abroad, I encourage all Americans to read the Bible and read it often, 
to study its teachings, and to make it an important part of their 
lives.

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