During his last Easter Prayer Breakfast, President Obama maintained a theme of hope, and encouraged those who gathered to not be afraid, but rather, remain hopeful in the midst of seemingly dark circumstances.
Obama particularly highlighted the recent attacks in Brussels and Pakistan in light of that theme. Over 30 people were killed in Brussels in attacks at an airport and subway station, and more than 70 were killed in Pakistan when a suicide bomber attacked people at an Easter gathering at a park in Lahore.
"These attacks can foment fear and division," Obama said. "They can tempt us to cast out the stranger, strike out against those who don't look like us, or pray exactly as we do. And they can lead us to turn our backs on those who are most in need of help and refuge. That's the intent of the terrorists, is to weaken our faith, to weaken our best impulses, our better angels."
Instead of responding to these incidents with fear, Obama said that the spirit and meaning of Easter should encourage people to be hopeful.
"If Easter means anything, it's that you don't have to be afraid. We drown out darkness with light, and we heal hatred with love, and we hold on to hope," Obama said.
The love that God showed to his people through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ allows people to be hopeful, he added.
"We think about all that Jesus suffered and sacrificed on our behalf -- scorned, abandoned, shunned, nail-scarred hands bearing the injustice of his death and carrying the sins of the world," he explained. "And it's difficult to fathom the full meaning of that act. Scripture tells us, 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life' ... Because of God's love, we have been given this gift of salvation. Because of Him, our hope is not misplaced, and we don't have to be afraid."
About 140 religious leaders were present at the prayer breakfast from different faith backgrounds, including Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox clergy. Reverend Doctor Derrick Harkins, the vice president of Union Theological Seminary in New York, was featured for the opening prayer during the event.
