    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [February 7, 2002]
    [Pages 187-189]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast
    February 7, 2002

        Thank you very much, John. Laura and I are
    really honored to join you this morning to celebrate the 50th
    anniversary of the National Prayer Breakfast. And Admiral Clark, whatever prayer you used for eloquence worked.
    [Laughter] I appreciate your message, and I appreciate your service to
    our great country.
        I want to thank Jon Kyl and Judge
    Sentelle for their words and
    CeCe for your music. I appreciate getting the
    chance to meet Joe Finley, New York City
    firefighter. He's a living example of what sacrifice and courage means.
    Thank you for coming, Joe.
        I want to thank Congressman Bart Stupak. I
    really appreciate the fact that my National Security Adviser,
    Condoleezza Rice, is here to offer prayer.
    I appreciate the members of my Cabinet who are here. I want to say hello
    to the Members of Congress.
        I'm particularly grateful to Lisa Beamer for
    her reading and for her example. I appreciate her example of faith made
    stronger in trial. In the worst moments of her life, Lisa has been a
    model of grace, her own and the grace of God. And all America welcomes
    into the world Todd and Lisa's new daughter, Morgan Kay Beamer.
        Since we met last year, millions of Americans have been led to
    prayer. They have prayed for comfort in time of grief, for understanding
    in a time of anger, for protection in a time of uncertainty. Many,
    including me, have been on bended knee. The prayers of this Nation are a
    part of the good that has come from the evil of September the 11th, more
    good than we could ever have predicted. Tragedy has brought forth the
    courage and the generosity of our people.

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        None of us would ever wish on anyone what happened on that day. Yet,
    as with each life, sorrows we would not choose can bring wisdom and
    strength gained in no other way. This insight is central to many faiths
    and certainly to the faith that finds hope and comfort in a cross.
        Every religion is welcomed in our country; all are practiced here.
    Many of our good citizens profess no religion at all. Our country has
    never had an official faith. Yet we have all been witnesses these past
    21 weeks to the power of faith to see us through the hurt and loss that
    has come to our country.
        Faith gives the assurance that our lives and our history have a
    moral design. As individuals, we know that suffering is temporary, and
    hope is eternal. As a nation, we know that the ruthless will not inherit
    the Earth. Faith teaches humility and, with it, tolerance. Once we have
    recognized God's image in ourselves, we must recognize it in every human
    being.
        Respect for the dignity of others can be found outside of religion,
    just as intolerance is sometimes found within it. Yet for millions of
    Americans, the practice of tolerance is a command of faith. When our
    country was attacked, Americans did not respond with bigotry. People
    from other countries and cultures have been treated with respect, and
    this is one victory in the war against terror.
        At the same time, faith shows us the reality of good and the reality
    of evil. Some acts and choices in this world have eternal consequences.
    It is always and everywhere wrong to target and kill the innocent. It is
    always and everywhere wrong to be cruel and hateful, to enslave and
    oppress. It is always and everywhere right to be kind and just, to
    protect the lives of others, and to lay down your life for a friend.
        The men and women who charged into burning buildings to save others,
    those who fought the hijackers were not confused about the difference
    between right and wrong. They knew the difference. They knew their duty.
    And we know their sacrifice was not in vain.
        Faith shows us the way to self-giving, to love our neighbor as we
    would want to be loved ourselves. In service to others, we find deep
    human fulfillment. And as acts of service are multiplied, our Nation
    becomes a more welcoming place for the weak and a better place for those
    who suffer and grieve.
        For half a century now, the National Prayer Breakfast has been a
    symbol of the vital place of faith in the life of our Nation. You've
    reminded generations of leaders of a purpose and a power greater than
    their own. In times of calm and in times of crisis, you've called us to
    prayer.
        In this time of testing for our Nation, my family and I have been
    blessed by the prayers of countless of Americans. We have felt their
    sustaining power, and we're incredibly grateful. Tremendous challenges
    await this Nation, and there will be hardships ahead. Faith will not
    make our path easy, but it will give us strength for the journey.
        The promise of faith is not the absence of suffering; it is the
    presence of grace. And at every step we are secure in knowing that
    suffering produces perseverance, and perseverance produces character,
    and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint.
        May God bless you, and may God continue to bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 8:45 a.m. in the International Ballroom at
    the Washington Hilton Hotel. In his remarks, he referred to Senator John
    Edwards of North Carolina; Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona; Judge David Bryan
    Sentelle, U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit;
    entertainer CeCe Winans; and Lisa Beamer, whose husband, Todd Beamer,
    died in the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001.

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