TIBET’S “MARCH OF LIVING HOPE”
‘Trouble in Tibet’ dates back to 1950 and Tibetans began their very long “March of Living Hope” in March 1959 following National Uprising against ‘Trouble in Tibet’. Tibetan Journey is far from over. If words can give any comfort, I ask Tibetans to continue this Journey with Patience and Perseverance until their “March of Living Hope” reaches its final destination.
Rudranarasimham Rebbapragada
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-4162 USA
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE
TROUBLE IN TIBET – REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST – “MARCH OF LIVING HOPE”
On behalf of Special Frontier Force I thank The White House(whitehouse.gov) for sharing with me ‘Remarks by the President at National Prayer Breakfast’. We join the President in this “March of Living Hope” to resolve ‘Trouble in Tibet’.
Rudranarasimham Rebbapragada
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-4162 USA
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE
THE WHITE HOUSE PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For
Immediate Release
February 05, 2015
Remarks by the President at National Prayer Breakfast
Washington Hilton
Washington, D.C.
9:13 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Well, good morning. Giving all
praise and honor to God. It is wonderful to be back with you here. I
want to thank our co-chairs, Bob and Roger. These two don’t always agree
in the Senate, but in coming together and uniting us all in prayer, they embody
the spirit of our gathering today. I also want to thank everybody who helped organize this breakfast. It’s
wonderful to see so many friends and faith leaders and dignitaries. And
Michelle and I are truly honored to be joining you here today.
I want to offer a special welcome to a good friend, His Holiness the Dalai
Lama — who is a powerful example of what it means to practice compassion, who
inspires us to speak up for the freedom and dignity of all human beings.
(Applause.) I’ve been pleased to welcome him to the White House on many
occasions, and we’re grateful that he’s able to join us here today.
(Applause.) There aren’t that many occasions that bring His Holiness under the same roof
as NASCAR. (Laughter.) This may be the first. (Laughter.) But God works in mysterious ways.
(Laughter.) And so I want to thank Darrell for that wonderful
presentation. Darrell knows that when you’re going 200 miles an hour, a
little prayer cannot hurt. (Laughter.) I suspect that more than
once, Darrell has had the same thought as many of us have in our own lives —
Jesus, take the wheel. (Laughter.) Although I hope that you kept your
hands on the wheel when you were thinking that. (Laughter.)
He and I obviously share something in having married up. And we are so
grateful to Stevie for the incredible work that they’ve done together to build a
ministry where the fastest drivers can slow down a little bit, and spend some
time in prayer and reflection and thanks. And we certainly want to wish
Darrell a happy birthday. (Applause.) Happy birthday.I will note, though, Darrell, when you were reading that list of things folks were saying about you, I was thinking, well, you’re a piker. I mean, that — (laughter.) I mean, if you really want a list, come talk to me. (Laughter.) Because that ain’t nothing. (Laughter.) That’s the
best they can do in NASCAR? (Laughter.)Slowing down and pausing for fellowship and prayer — that’s what this
breakfast is about. I think it’s fair to say Washington moves a lot slower
than NASCAR. Certainly my agenda does sometimes. (Laughter.)
But still, it’s easier to get caught up in the rush of our lives, and in the
political back-and-forth that can take over this city. We get sidetracked
with distractions, large and small. We can’t go 10 minutes without
checking our smartphones — and for my staff, that’s every 10 seconds. And
so for 63 years, this prayer tradition has brought us together, giving us the
opportunity to come together in humility before the Almighty and to be reminded
of what it is that we share as children of God.
And certainly for me, this is always a chance to reflect on my own faith
journey. Many times as President, I’ve been reminded of a line of prayer
that Eleanor Roosevelt was fond of. She said, “Keep us at tasks too hard for us
that we may be driven to Thee for strength.” Keep us at tasks too hard for
us that we may be driven to Thee for strength. I’ve wondered at times if
maybe God was answering that prayer a little too literally. But no matter
the challenge, He has been there for all of us. He’s certainly
strengthened me “with the power through his Spirit,” as I’ve sought His guidance
not just in my own life but in the life of our nation.
Now, over the last few months, we’ve seen a number of challenges — certainly over the
last six years. But part of what I want to touch on today is the degree to
which we’ve seen professions of faith used both as an instrument of great good,
but also twisted and misused in the name of evil.
As we speak, around the world, we see faith inspiring people to lift up one
another — to feed the hungry and care for the poor, and comfort the afflicted
and make peace where there is strife. We heard the good work that Sister
has done in Philadelphia, and the incredible work that Dr. Brantly and his
colleagues have done. We see faith driving us to do right.
But we also see faith being twisted and distorted, used as a wedge — or,
worse, sometimes used as a weapon. From a school in Pakistan to the
streets of Paris, we have seen violence and terror perpetrated by those who
profess to stand up for faith, their faith, professed to stand up for Islam,
but, in fact, are betraying it. We see ISIL, a brutal, vicious death cult
that, in the name of religion, carries out unspeakable acts of barbarism
The Rudi-Grant Connection 