January 27, 1999
In Washington, which
side's prayers are best?
___WASHINGTON (RNS)--The fierce battle over the impeachment of President Clinton has driven more than government bureaucrats to work late into the night. Operating with a lower profile and far different objectives, another cadre is stepping up its efforts on Capitol Hill--the various official and unofficial spiritual advisers to Congress.
___The commodity this troupe trades is delivered to politicians in Bible and Torah classes, in lectures and prayer groups, and through spiritual retreats. But in a city where even a brief aside with a politician is a precious commodity, they often simply deliver their reassuring message in whispered tones: "Excuse me, Senator, I just want you to know that I am praying for you."
___But what happens when across the country many Democrats and Republicans report a nagging suspicion that a bitterly divided Congress has, well, failed? Have the spiritual gurus who aim to instill integrity and "neighborly love" in a highly charged partisan setting overshot their mark?
___"It is certainly premature to say that these efforts have failed," said Doug Tanner, a 14-year veteran of ministry on Capitol Hill. "But, at the same time, don't assume that religious organizations alone can change the nature of a given political era."
___On the other hand, "it certainly means we didn't do (our work) as well as it could be done."
___Tanner is executive director of the Faith and Politics Institute, which he founded in 1991 and which seeks to help lawmakers and their staffs keep in touch with their deeper values.
___Through activities ranging from weekly reflection groups to hosting speakers and sponsoring occasional retreats, organizations like Tanner's grant some of the country's most powerful leaders a brief repose from the breakneck pace of life "on the Hill."
___Religious convictions spurred politicians on both sides of the impeachment debate, demonstrating that faith can divide as often as it heals.
___But different faith perspectives shouldn't have to produce the kind of bitterness the impeachment saga has evoked, Tanner said. "If we had all been doing our work, you could have seen that kind of disagreement and passion and not the dehumanizing of each other."
___However, Sam McCullough, acting director of the Christian Embassy, said even the most successful ministry will not make disagreements disappear. "We are not responsible for the country. And remember, the Congress changes very often. There have been lots of individuals who have either come to Christ or grown in their faith."
___The Arlington, Va., based Embassy offers Christian guidance to lawmakers, their families and their staffs.
___In spite of the current crisis, the work of God moves forward, according to several religious activists who work on Capitol Hill.
___"A lot of positive things have happened," McCullough said, "even though we might not be happy with what is going on around us right now. But who can control that?"
___In a town of legislative muscle and sly maneuvering, is a Bible study or a prayer group anything but irrelevant the moment the first political hard-ball gets tossed?
___Senate Chaplain Lloyd John Ogilvie says he doesn't believe so.
___"The Senators are able to work more creatively together in finding a
___solution because of the fact that they have been together in Bible study and prayer. Many of them know each other as men and women of faith," he said.
___Ogilvie and House Chaplain James Ford oversee the opening of each legislative session with prayer and perform other duties such as leading prayer groups, providing counseling and officiating at wedding ceremonies.
___Ogilvie said he plans to arrange a special time of prayer with the Senators during the impeachment trial.
___Bible studies, prayer groups and retreats can offer a "perspective that keeps major things major and minor things minor," said James Dunn, executive director for the Baptist Joint Committee an a veteran observer of inside-the-Beltway religion. But Dunn is not overly confident the Senate is up to the job ahead.
___"I have detected very little humility on both sides lately," he said. In the past, "there was a qualitative difference between the commitment to speak about the issues and not the person."
___But Frank Wright, director of the Center for Christian Statesmanship, called the current problems "individual" failures, not institutional ones. "I would tend to say that what we saw in the Judiciary Committee was individual failure. We would like to hope individuals can rise above that, but maybe in this situation that is expecting too much."
___Wright said humans have a fallen nature, but that does not mean ministry on Capitol Hill has failed. Especially during times of difficulty, he said, it is important to be aware of larger forces working in people's lives, and that is where religion comes into play.
___"The Scripture says there are forces of darkness," he said. "I am sure those forces are pleased when there is spiritual enmity between folks on both sides of the aisle."Frontpage / Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!