At US Capitol, Christian leaders read Scripture, exhort Congress to care about poor

Under a cloudy and drizzly sky, across the street from the U.S. Capitol, David Beckmann read passages from the prophet Isaiah.

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God,” read Beckmann, president of Bread for the World and one of several Protestant and Catholic leaders who gathered Wednesday (Oct. 9) to launch “Faithful Filibuster.”

The effort is intended to remind members of Congress that the government shutdown is hurting poor and vulnerable people.

Volunteers planned to read more than 2,000 verses, possibly continuing into the night.