Calls for unity, congressional testimonies of prayer, and exhortations from several lawmakers to pursue progressive policy goals characterized the 2021 National Prayer Breakfast.
This was the first year the annual congressionally-hosted event was held virtually. Still included were messages from a bi-partisan group of members of Congress as well as U.S. Presidents, concluding with an address by President Joe Biden.
The President exhorted those watching to “deal with the existential threat of climate crisis” and “confront and defeat political extremism, white supremacy and domestic terrorism.”
U.S. Senator Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) asserted a biblical mandate for progressive policies.
“Commit today to… loving our neighbor, and if you don’t know, everyone is your neighbor: all of humanity,” Gillibrand stated. “Loving your neighbor requires working for social justice, investing in the most marginalized communities, protecting and extending the Civil Rights to those communities still aren’t guaranteed and making opportunity universal.”
Not everything was overtly political, however. Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama shared testimonies stressing the ways in which faith and prayer draw the nation together.
Bush spoke of prayer as “the language of reconciliation” and “the vocabulary of grace, love and peace our country needs to move forward together.” Clinton said that “our nation needs healing, healing that requires humility, the understanding that we are all imperfect people.”
Senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Chris Coons (D-DE) and Representatives John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Thomas Suozzi (D-NY) highlighted friendly relationships cultivated in their own weekly bi-partisan ecumenical prayer meetings.
“I can’t tell you how many times people have come up to me on the floor and said ‘oh I heard you were praying for me this week, thank you.,” Suozzi shared of those meetings’ effect.
Addressing national divisions, Scott said “Our nation, today more than ever, needs to see a bipartisan coalition of Believers coming together living in our America, our God and frankly all of you, our country.”
Suozzi went on to say: “We need Democrats and Republicans to come together to be together in the spirit of Jesus. This prayer breakfast is a great opportunity for us to remember exactly what our lives are about; remembering to love our neighbors, but even more demanding to love our enemies… the breakfast is a great opportunity to remind us of that and to seek inspiration to continue to find unity.”
Moolenaar and Suozzi in particular discussed their own unlikely friendship as a result of regular prayer together. As they joked, their districts are so different that while Moolenaar has over 15,000 farmers in his Michigan district, Suozzi’s closest comparison in New York City is that he knows someone named ‘Farmer.’ Such was one example of the kinds of relationships that regular group prayer can build.
“I always felt that we had a Johnny Carson and Ed McMann kind of thing, where I’m Ed McMahon and you’re Carson,” said Moolenaar. He added that having regular bipartisan prayer “allows us to see the best in one another, and to encourage one another, and even though there’s differences, to see how someone comes to their viewpoint.”
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said that: “today we pray for the families ravaged by the coronavirus and pray for the community’s confronting the dark stain of injustice. We pray for our country and around the world for those seeking a more just and equal future for themselves and their families. And, for leaders and people of faith it is our responsibility to safeguard the dignity of all of God’s children recognizing the spark of divinity within also all.” She quoted Isaiah 40:21-31, reminding that the faithful “will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
In addition to touting policy priorities, Biden still sought to establish a unifying tone as he pleaded for first seeing humanity in fellow citizens:
“These aren’t Democrats or Republicans going hungry in our nation, they’re our fellow Americans, fellow human beings! They aren’t Democrats or Republicans going without healthcare in America, they are fellow Americans, Fellow human beings! There aren’t Democrats and Republicans being evicted from their homes, they’re fellow Americans, fellow Human beings! And these aren’t Democrats and Republicans losing their lives to this deadly virus, they’re fellow Americans and fellow Human beings.”
The new President remained hopeful that religious faith can be a stabilizing force.
“Faith sees best in the dark,” Biden quoted 19th century Christian-existentialist Søren Kierkegaard. Biden earlier quoted St. Augustine during his inaugural address, indicating that he will continue to draw from Christian philosophers in his rhetoric.
Comment by Jim on February 9, 2021 at 7:56 pm
Pelosi prays for the country? She is one of the main players behind the division of our country. She tears up President Trump’s speech in front of the the world, regularly denigrates republicans and conservatives. Advocates for unrestricted abortion, deviant lifestyles and open borders. Her leading any prayer is an affront to our Sovereign God.
Comment by Star Tripper on February 10, 2021 at 10:04 am
Churchianity is what is being proclaimed at this breakfast. It is important to keep tabs on these Prometheans but don’t be fooled that they are preaching Christianity.
Comment by Joan Oliver on February 13, 2021 at 2:47 pm
N. Pelosi talks about the “spark of divinity” within all(?), a doubtful theological position at best. She certainly does not attribute that characteristic to Donald Trump—at least as we see her characterizing him!
Comment by Carole Bergman on February 20, 2021 at 9:17 am
Why was not the Keynote speaker mentioned? I heard a program on Ambassador Andrew Young, where they played his speech, calling for forgiveness. I don’t see that even mentioned here.
I believe he is correct. Without forgiveness, we can’ go on being America. He quoted Bishop Desmond Tutu.