A day after praising Islam as a religion of peace in his visit to a mosque in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. President Barack Obama spoke at the 64th annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. on Thursday where he talked about Jesus Christ.
In his address, Obama acknowledged the fear gripping many people in "these tumultuous times" but pointed out that "Jesus is a good cure for fear," The Gospel Herald reported.
"For me, and I know for so many of you, faith is the great cure for fear. Jesus is a good cure for fear. God gives believers the power, the love, the sound mind required to conquer any fear," he said.
He cited a Bible scripture from Second Timothy, which he said sustains him:"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
He said faith is of utmost importance today amid "destructive conflict" and "disruptions to our climate" which reshape "the way we work and the way we live."
"What better time than these changing, tumultuous times to have Jesus standing beside us, steadying our minds, cleansing our hearts, pointing us towards what matters," the president said.
Obama said people need to turn to Jesus to conquer fear. "He gives us the courage to reach out to others across that divide, rather than push people away. He gives us the courage to go against the conventional wisdom and stand up for what's right, even when it's not popular."
He also said Jesus gives people the courage "to stand up not just to our enemies but, sometimes, to stand up to our friends."
Continuing, Obama said Jesus also "gives us the fortitude to sacrifice ourselves for a larger cause. Or to make tough decisions knowing that we can only do our best. Less of me, more of God. And then, to have the courage to admit our failings and our sins while pledging to learn from our mistakes and to try to do better."
Obama said he has known fear, just "like every president, like every leader, like every person."
But he said his faith tells him "that I need not fear death; that the acceptance of Christ promises everlasting life and the washing away of sins."
"If Scripture instructs me to 'put on the full armor of God' so that when trouble comes, I'm able to stand, then surely I can face down these temporal setbacks, surely I can battle back doubts, surely I can rouse myself to action," he said.
Obama hailed the extraordinary work of Christians in fighting global poverty, working to end the scourge of human trafficking, distributing aid, tending the wounded, rebuilding homes for the homeless, saving lives from ebola, showering communities with understanding when tragedy strikes, and assisting refugees.
"And then there's the more quiet efforts of congregations all across this country just helping people. Seeing God in others," he said.
Towards the end of his speech, Obama sought prayers for himself even as he prays for Christian leaders to continue doing good deeds with humility and generosity. "I pray that my failings are forgiven. I pray that we will uphold our obligation to be good stewards of God's creation—this beautiful planet. I pray that we will see every single child as our own, each worthy of our love and of our compassion. And I pray we answer Scripture's call to lift up the vulnerable, and to stand up for justice, and ensure that every human being lives in dignity," he said.
