[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8] [Senate] [Pages 10803-10809] [From the U.S. 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 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 [[Page 10804]] 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. 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 [[Page 10805]] 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 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, [[Page 10806]] 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 [[Page 10807]] gripped my arm and led me around, looking 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 [[Page 10808]] 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 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-- [[Page 10809]] 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 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. ____________________