Prayer is sometimes divisive in politics.

In Indiana, Federal Judge David Hamilton has ordered House Speaker Brian Bosma to censor out the name of Jesus when inviting people to open the House of Representatives in prayer. His order has been appealed. Meanwhile, House members have been huddling informally in the back of the chamber for informal prayer before the start of official proceedings.

In contrast, in the very divided world of politics in the nation’s capital, prayer has a way of bridging divisions. Irish rock star Bono helped build some of those bridges at the recent National Prayer Breakfast. He lobbied President Bush and members of Congress for more foreign aid for Africa, but he did it in the non-ideological tradition of the prayer breakfast.

The annual breakfast offers members of Congress a chance to show a less partisan side. Conservatives and liberals explain how they find common ground in prayer for one another, even if they still argue about the federal budget or the war in Iraq.

Bono caught the spirit of the occasion in pressing for more humanitarian aid for Africa, while acknowledging the difficulties of steering relief around corrupt governments. He did his homework, citing Scripture references commanding a concern for the poor.

He attributed his own recent seriousness about his Christian faith to the way Americans have taken up the AIDS crisis in Africa. “You’ve had conservative church groups hanging out with gay spokesmen,” he said. “You’ve had Jesse Helms with a ghetto blaster,” referring to the former Republican senator’s willingness to go to one of Bono’s U2 concerts to raise money for Africa.

“This is a town that is proving that it can come together around the idea that, as you have done it to the least of these, you have done it to me,” Bono said, citing Jesus in Matthew 25. “It’s not a Republican or a Democratic idea.”

The strength of Bono’s message was his eloquence in stating the problem. The weakness was his inability to offer any remedy other than more foreign aid.

The prayer breakfast is run by a looseknit group called The Fellowship, headed by Doug Coe. He never issues press releases and seldom is named in the news media. Their prayer and Bible study groups offer an important neutral ground for leaders with party and ideological differences. Those who bemoan the bitter strife in Congress in recent years can take solace in this quiet effort that only receives public attention at the annual prayer breakfast. The ceremony features the president and often a star guest such as Bono. Often the speaker, such as Mother Teresa a few years ago, has a life story and mission that transcends differences in political philosophy.

The fellowship tries hard to be ecumenical, including a mix of Christians, Jews, and Muslims, yet with a clear emphasis on Jesus of Nazareth. This year, Jordan’s King Abdullah called for peace in the Middle East by finding common ground in the three faiths. Skeptics may question whether the deep divisions in the region can be smoothed over with prayers and Scripture readings. These groups are deeply divided about claims of truth, not just questions of geography and ethnicity.

Yet the fellowship approach is a vast improvement over the usual fighting in the Middle East and offers an important alternative to Republicans and Democrats taking their differences of opinion too far. The Bible studies also have offered an opportunity for quiet evangelism and discipleship among the nation’s top leaders. They provide an important vehicle for Christ’s work as King over the nation. As leaders commit their lives to Christ, sometimes in response to the burdens of the office, they often desire to grow spiritually and turn to the Bible for guidance. The strength of the fellowship has been helping leaders see family as a top priority in the midst of the pressures and busyness of public life.

U.S. Rep. Tom Osborne, a Nebraska Republican and former college football coach, explained at the breakfast: “When people begin to really talk about their struggles and their family lives, the labels come off—Republican and Democrat, liberal and conservative.”

Some attendees may come only to mingle with the many political stars in the audience. But the most important work behind the breakfast occurs the rest of the year, away from the cameras, in small-group Bible study and prayer groups.