On Tuesday, hours before hetook office as the 45th governor of the state of Florida, Rick Scott looked for help from above at a prayer breakfast held in Tallahassee.
The new executive team stressed their faith at the event which took place on the campus of Florida A&M University.
Rick and I, to the core, believe that God is our rock and foundation, said Jennifer Carroll who was about to be sworn in as the states 18th lieutenant governor. We are not ashamed to publicly admit it.
My faith has been important to me all my life, said Scott. Jesus Christ has been with me all my life.
Scott welcomed the prayers of religious leaders drawn from many faiths at the event.
All of us need your prayers, Scott said. We need the wisdom of Solomon.
Joining the religious leaders and the Scott and Carroll families at the dais were a number of Florida leaders including Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, and former Gov. Claude Kirk. Other leaders, including former House Speaker Larry Cretul and Democratic House Leader Ron Saunders of Key West were also in attendance.
The keynote speaker at the prayer breakfast was Chuck Colson, the former special counsel to Richard Nixon who founded Prison Fellowship after serving time in a federal penitentiary due to his role in the Watergate scandal. Prison Fellowship is a ministry organization aimed toward inmates.
Despite his reputation as one of Nixons chief political aides, Colson said that politics has gotten worse since his service in the White House.
Politics has become ugly, messy, nasty and personal, Colson said. What a time to govern. I think its worse than Watergate.
Colson noted that the American people are angry, adding that they should blame themselves and not just the leaders they elect.
The countrys in a mess and who is responsible? Colson asked before pointing to the crowd. We are.
Colson argued that Christians need to remain involved in the public square. Were not to be anti-government, said Colson, who invoked Augustine, Thomas More and John Calvin. We can get mad at the excesses of government but, as a Christian, we cannot get mad at government.
Insisting that the decline of the Protestant work ethic led to the economic turmoil in 2008, Colson took aim at the nations sick culture, calling it one of the reasons why politics was so ugly and the economy in shambles. Self-government can only work when individuals govern themselves, said Colson.
While the event generally remained apolitical, there were moments when the religious leaders touched on the issues.
Colson, who worked with prominent Florida businessman Jack Eckerd to reform the states prisons in the 1980s and 1990s, praised Scotts plan to reform the criminal justice system. Catholic Bishop Frank Dewane, who leads the Diocese of Venice, and Pam Olson from the International House of Prayer in Tallahassee, prayed for Florida to defend life from conception to natural death.
Rabbi Moshe Scheiner read the 23rd Psalm in Hebrew before offering the English translation. Imam Enrique Rasheed read a passage from the Quran in Arabic before translating it into English. Other religious leaders who participated in the event included Bishop Vaughn McLaughlin from the Potters House in Jacksonville, Tampa Christian radio host Bill Bunkely and Kirt Anderson, the pastor of the Naples Community Church where the Scott family attends.
Celebrated Irish tenor Ronan Tynon sang Amazing Grace to close the event.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
