The U.S. President Barack Obama continued his tradition of hosting an Easter Prayer Breakfast during Holy Week on Tuesday, as an opportunity to connect with Christian leaders as well as reflect on his own faith.
The breakfast occurred a week after Obama hosted an intimate Passover Seder with high-profile Jewish leaders.
The list of around 100 leaders invited to the breakfast included mega-church pastors such as Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potter's House, Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Andy Stanley of North Point Community Church, and Joel Hunter of Northland Church.
During his address, Obama reflected that the resurrection of Jesus helped him keep things “in perspective.”
"I wanted to host this breakfast for a simple reason – because as busy as we are, as many tasks pile up, during this season, we are reminded that there’s something about the resurrection ... of our savior, Jesus Christ, that puts everything else in perspective," Obama affirmed.
"The triumph of Palm Sunday. The humility of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. His slow march up that hill, and the pain and the scorn and the shame of the cross. And we’re reminded that in that moment, he took on the sins of the world – past, present and future – and he extended to us that unfathomable gift of grace and salvation through his death and resurrection," he said.
"And that’s why we have this breakfast," Obama later added. "Because in the middle of critical national debates, in the middle of our busy lives, we must always make sure that we are keeping things in perspective."
Obama’s remarks certainly seemed to impact some of the leaders present with mega-church pastor Dave Gibbons of NewSong Community Church later tweeting: "You may find it difficult to believe but Experienced some Holy moments at the White House today."