Gathering Gives Pause For Reflection

I believe I am the first “talk-show host” to read from the Holy Scriptures at the National Prayer Breakfast, which takes place each year in Washington, D.C. This year marked the 47th consecutive time this event has taken place. The concept began almost half a century ago as a casual meeting of congress men and women laying down their political swords and picking up the Bible. The intent was to refresh their minds and souls with respect to what was supposed to be their true goal and true allegiance.

Their Bible study and prayer was to remind them that their ultimate goal is righteousness, compassion and justice and that their true allegiance is to God and to God’s expectations and commandments. The reason this concept worked and grew (weekly congressional Bible study is led by a chaplain) is because there was no micro-interpreting of biblical Scriptures or denominational declarations of superiority. It’s all about the basics, which are understandable and important to all who respect and honor God.

Especially because I am a formal convert to Judaism (although I have Jewish blood through my father’s side) after a virtual lifetime of religious ignorance and abstention (actual atheism required more thought than I had given it), it was a particular honor to me to stand and read from the Holy Scriptures in front of more than 4,000 members of government, dignitaries, heads of state and citizens throughout the whole world through C-SPAN.

It took me two months to decide on which Scriptures I would read in the allotted three minutes. Friends and colleagues joked about what I could possibly choose that wouldn’t touch on the presidential scandals. Others hoped I would use this opportunity as a hammer. However, the intent of these prayer meetings is to cleanse souls of rancor and revenge. That is not to say that all issues of accountability for wrongdoing are erased by the forgiving and conciliatory tone of some Scripture readings. It is to say that we cannot be so totally absorbed in anger and outrage that we lose our focus and our fairness. It is also to say that in spite of the trials and tribulations of everyday life, we must not become so enthralled with a crusade that we ignore our souls and our other responsibilities in life.

I finally chose Deuteronomy 8 because I thought it so profoundly shook us out of our often self-righteous arrogance as human beings who sometimes confuse “walking with the Lord” with becoming a god. God is speaking through Moses to the people to clarify and remind them of their relationship to God. “He subjected you to the hardship of hunger and then gave you manna to eat, which neither you nor your fathers had ever known, in order to teach you that man does not live on bread alone, but that man may live on anything that the Lord decrees.”

The passage continues by describing the wonders of life given to us by God to enjoy and from which to create almost whatever man is capable of dreaming.

This passage is not just about the Hebrews freed from Egyptian bondage; it is about children appreciating the efforts of their parents, teachers, neighbors, laborers, police, firefighters, doctors and nurses, and so forth; it is about spouses appreciating the efforts of their spouses and extended families; it is about bosses and supervisors appreciating the efforts of their employees and clients; it is about all of us realizing that we are interdependent and should always remember we do not individually create the world and all our blessings.

This passage is about gratitude and respect. And how often do we contemplate not only the blessings from God, but our blessings through the love, support, trust, assistance and kindness we get from others? Not often enough.