Knowing that this project is bigger than yourself. Johns story is the american story. Thats not hyperbole. Its the american story. Grounded in respect and decency. Basic fairness. The intolerance through the abuse of power. Many of you have traveled the world. Look how the rest of the world recently looks at us. They look at us a little naive. We are so fair. Were so decent. Were the naive americans. But thats who we are. Thats who john was. And he could not stand the abuse of power. Wherever he saw it, in whatever form, in whatever country. It was always about basic values with john. Fairness, honesty, dignity, respect. Giving hate no safe harbor. Leaving no one behind. And understanding as americans, we are a part of something much bigger than ourselves. With john, it was a value set that was neither selfish nor selfserving. John understood that america was first and foremost an idea. Audacious and risking. Organized around not tribe, but around ideals. Think of how he approached every issue. The ideals that americans have rallied around for over 200 years. The ideals that the world has prepared to. It sounds corny. We hold these truths self evident that all men are created equal, endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. To john those words had meaning. As they have for every great patriot that has ever served this country. We both loved the senate. Proudest years of my life were being a United States senator. And i was honored to be Vice President , but being a United States senator. And we both lamented watching the change. During long debates in the 80s and 90s, some of the colleagues would know, i would sit next to john, next to his seat. Or hed come over on the democratic side and sit next to me. No, im not joking. Because wed sit there and wed talk to each other. And i can remember the day when i came out to see john, we reminisced about it. It was in 96. We were about to adjourn for what we call the caucuses. There is a luncheon once a week that the Democratic Senators have lunch together and all the republican senators. And we both went into our caucus and, coincidentally, we were approached by our caucus leaders with the same thing. Raised the discussion. Joe, it doesnt look good you sitting next to john all the time. I swear to god. Same thing was said to john in your caucus. Thats when things began to change for the worst in america in the senate. Thats when it changed. What happened was that those times, it was always appropriate to challenge another senators judgment. But never appropriate to challenge their motive. When you challenge their motive, its impossible to get to go. If i say youre doing this because you are being paid off, if i say youre doing this because you are not a good christian, if i say youre doing this because you are this, that, or the other thing, its impossible to reach consensus. Think about it in your personal lives. But all we do today is attack the oppositions of both parties, their motives. Not the substance of their argument. This was the mid 90s. Well, it began to go downhill from there. The last day john was on the senate floor, what was he fighti fighting to do . He was fighting to restore what we call regular order. To start to treat one another again like we used to. The senate was never perfect, john. You know that. We were there a long time together. But i watched Teddy Kennedy and james east manafoman fight like and then have lunch together in the Senate Dining room. John wanted to see, quote, regular order writ large, get to know one another. You know, john and i were both amused, and i think lindsey was at one of these events, where john and i received two prestigious awards the last year i was Vice President and then one immediately after. It was for our dignity and respect we showed to one another. We received an award for civility in public life. It was a college al Allegheny County puts this award out every year for bipartisanship. John and i said, what in the hell is going on here . No, not a joke. I said to senator flake, thats how its supposed to be. You are getting an award . No, im serious. Think about this. Getting an award for your civility. Getting an award for bipartisanship. Classic john, the one at allegheny college, hundreds of people there, and we got the award. The senate was this session, so john spoke first. As he walked off the stage and i walked on he looked at me and said, joe, dont take it personally, but i wanted to hear what the hell you had to say, and left. One of johns Major Campaign people is now with the senate, with the governor of ohio. Was on this morning. I happened to watch it. He said that biden mccain had this strange relationship. They always seemed to have each others back. Whenever i was this trouble, john was the first guy there. And i hope i was there for him. And we never hesitate to give each other advice. He called me in the middle of a campaign, and would say, what the hell did you say that for . It was not an issue. Like you just screwed up, joe, you know . And id occasionally call him. Look, i have been thinking this week about why johns death has hit the country so hard. Yes, he was a longserving senator with a remarkable record. Yes, he was a twotime president ial candidate who captured the support and imagination of the american people. And, yes, john was a war hero to demonstrated extraordinary courage. I think of john and my son when i think of ingersolls words, when duty throws the gauntlet down to fate, when honor skorns to compromise with death, that is heroism. Everybody knows that about john. But i dont think it fully explains why the country has been so take been i johns passing. I think its something more intangible. I think its because they knew john believed so deeply and so passionately in the soul of america. He made it easier for them to have confidence and faith in america. His faith in the core values of this nation made them somehow feel it more genuinely themselves. His conviction that we, as a country, would never walk away from the sacrifices generations of americans have made to defend liberty and freedom and Human Dignity around the world. It made average americans proud of themselves and their country. His belief, and it was deep, that americans can do anything, withstand anything, achieve anything was both unflagging and ultimately reassuring that this man believed that so strongly. His capacity that we truly are the worlds last best hope, that were the beacon to the world, that there are principles and ideals greater than ourselves worth suffering, sacrificing for, and if necessary, worth dying for. Americans saw how he lived his life that way, and they knew the truth of what he was saying. I just think he gave americans confidence. John was a hero. His character, courage, honor, integrity. But i think the thing is understated the most is his optimism. Thats what made john special. Made john a giant among all of us. But in my view, john didnt believe that americas future and fate rested on heroes. We used to talk about, and i liked most about him, is he understood what i hope we all remember. Heroes didnt build this country. Ordinary people being given half a chance are capable of doing extraordinary things. Extraordinary things. John knew ordinary americans understood that each of us has a duty to defend the integrity, dignity and birthright of every child. A Good Community is built by thousands of small acts of decency that americans, as i speak today, show each other every single day. That deep in the dna of this nations soul lies a flame that was lit over 200 years ago, that each of us carries with us, and each one of us has the capacity, the responsibility, and the courage to make sure its not extinguished. There are a thousand Little Things that make us different. The bottom line was i think john believed in us. I think he believed in the american people. Not just all the preambles. He believed in the american people. All 325 million of us. Even though john is no longer with us, he left us pretty clear instructions. Quote, believe always in the promise and greatness of america because nothing is inevitable here. Close to the last thing john said took the whole nation, as he knew he was about to depart, thats what he wanted america to understand. Not to build his legacy. He wanted america, remind them to understand. I think johns legacy is going to continue to inspire and challenge generations of leaders as they step forward. John mccains impact on america is not over. Its not hyperbole. Its not over. I dont think its even close. Cindy, john owed so much of what he was to you. You were his ballast. When i was with you both, i could just see how he looked at you. Jill is the one who we were in hawaii and he first met you there, he kept staring at you. Jill finally said, go up and talk to her. And doug and annie, sydney, meghan, jack, jimmy, bridget, you may not have had your father as long as you would have liked, but you got from him everything you need, to pursue your own dreams. To follow the course of your own spirit. You are a living legacy. Not hyperbole. Youre a living legacy and proof of john mccains success. Now john is going to take his rightful place in the long line of extraordinary leaders in this nations history who, in their time and in their way, stood for freedom and stood for liberty, and have made the american story the most improbable and the most hopeful and the most enduring story on earth. I know john said he hoped he played a small part in that story. John, you did much more than that, my friend. To paraphrase shakespeare, we shall not see his like again. A second reading from 2 timothy chapter 4 versus 6 through 8. For i am already being poured out like a drink offering and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, i have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of rich outness which the already, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day. Not only to me, but also to all who have long for his appearing. I love you arizona your mountains, deserts and streams and the outlaws i see in my dreams i love you arizona superstitions and all the warmth you give at sunrise your sunsets put music in us all arizona youre the magic in me ooh, arizona youre the lifeblood of me i love you arizona desert dust in the wind the sage and cactus blooming and the smell of the rain on your skin ooh, arizona youre the magic in me ooh, arizona youre the lifeblood of me jesus at the final meal, he shared with his friends, charge them, remember me. Remember me in the breaking of the bread. Bread has to be broken to be shared. We are celebrating today the life of a man who unselfishly was broken that we might be one again. John mccain, our brother. Jesus brother. To remember to bring together john mccain, i invite you to share the words of henry scott holland. Laugh as we always laughed at jokes we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be ever that household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without effect, without a trace of shadow on it. We pray. Lord god, may john mccains vision be in our eyes, his voice in our words and our tongue, his listening to the needs of others in our ears, his love for his country in our hearts. Bless you, john mccain. In the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit. As we come to a close, id like to read some words that were beautifully written by his daughter meghan. My father is gone and i miss him as only an adoring daughter can. But in this loss and in this sorrow i take comfort in this. John mccain, hero of the republic and to his little girl, wakes today to something more glorious than anything on this earth. Today the warrior enters his true and eternal life greeted by those who have gone before him. And she writes, rising to meet the author of all things. We will grieve. We will mourn. But i want you to think about her words. In this very moment, senator john mccain is in heaven with god the father and jesus the son. No more cancer. No more pain. No more sickness. No more burdens of this world. In fact, his biggest concern is probably what channel do i have to find in heaven in order to watch larry play on sundays . All joking aside, he is a free man, and he is more alive than he has ever been. See, senator mccain professed christianity. Here is the hope in what senator mccain believed. He knew romans 3 23. For all of sin have fallen short of the glory of god. He knew romans 6 23, that the wages of sin was death but the gift of god was eternal life through his son jesus christ. So the hope that we have is the good news that senator john mccain believed this passage from john 3 16. That for god so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that who believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. When we grieve and when we mourn, understand that he has eternal life and he is with the father in heaven because of his faith in jesus christ. That is something to find comfort in. That is the reason why meghan can write these words so beautifully. Let us pray together. Father, as we leave from this place, we ask you to give comfort to cindy and the family. As Vice President joe biden said, there will be days that the freshness of this loss hits them hard, father. And in those moments, lord, when they find themselves by themselves mourning this deep pain and sorrow, will you comfort them, god . Will you give them the strength they need to walk every single day . And god, as we mourn, as the scripture says, we mourn differently with those who have hope because senator john mccain believed you sent your only son to walk this earth and live a sinless life, to die on the cross for our sins, for the things that we deserved. He believed that jesus christ was put in the tomb and he rose again. And he defeated death. That is the reason to celebrate and that is the reason for us to have comfort. Its in jesus name we pray, amen. I want to thank you all again on behalf of the mccain family for being here and supporting them. At this moment we will ask you to stay seated until the family, the entire family, has exited the building. And now the end is near so i pitch the final curtain my friends ill say adieu ill state my case for which im certain i lived a life thats full i traveled east and every highway and much more than this i did it my way regrets, ive had a few but then again too few to mention i did what i had to do and saw it through without exemption i planned each charted course each careful step upon the byway and more, much more than this i did it my way yes there were times im sure you knew when i bit off more than i could chew but through it all when there was doubt i ate it up and spit it out i faced it all and i stood tall and did it my way ive loved, ive laughed and cried ive had my fill, my share of losing and now as tears with the iconic voice of Frank Sinatra singing i did it my way, one of the careful selections of john mccain himself during months and months in his beloved sedona ranch thinking about this day. This service concludes for john mccain with the words of the Senior Pastor garcia quoting from meghan mccain, saying, today the warrior enters his true and eternal life. With me here with some closing thoughts, john weaver, who worked so closely with john mccain in politics and life, friend and advisor, and president ial historian michael beschloss. John, all of these tributes, joe biden, larry fitzgerald, so perfectly in tune with the man that you loved. Yes, they exemplified his life. I think the Vice President , Vice President biden had it exactly right. John mccain allowed us to have more faith in america. He wasnt perfect by any stretch. He made mistakes, but he continuously strove for honor and always brought people together. I want people to know as we have faith in him, we need to have more faith in each other as we move into those days ahead. And michael, the Vice President saying he has been thinking about why americans are so taken by this loss. He said its because of what john mccain represented, a greater america. Right. Its not just that people may agree with certain of john mccains positions on issues, although they might. Its because they are enchanted and entranced by the kind of human being, what character there was in this man. And however long i live, andrea, i will remember what joe biden said about the fact that im democratic and i loved, although i was a democratic, i loved john mccain. And when he talked about the moment in the 1990s when the two of them, each was told by his own party, stop sitting with the other guy, it doesnt look good for the two of you to be sitting on the senate floor and how that changed. Its american for people who violently disagree to have these relationships. Its unamerican for them to treat each other as if they are the enemy. Exactly right i was covering the senate before, during, and after it changed in the 90s. We saw a very different atmosphere, a different influence take hold. Thank you so much, michael beschloss. Thank you, john weaver. We will all be together in the coming days as we see the return of john mccain to washington for the last time, to the capital will he will be lying in repose tomorrow as well. Of course, the services on saturday. And my colleague katy tur in new york, katy, these are emotional days for all of us who cover politics, who loved john mccain. The vibrancy, the humor, and the prayerful moments today all so meaningful. I think beyond those of us who cover politics or had deep admiration for senator mccain, i think its an emotional day for the entire country as were watching one of the very few men or lawmakers left in congress or in American Government who was willing to put country over party. And we heard it so eloquently put by joe biden saying that, expressing shock that he and mccain would get an award for being bipartisan when that is what they are sent to washington to do. To compromise, to make deals, to get government running, and how that almost seems laughable in 2018. I mean, this whole service, andrea, has been such an emotional ride. And it has shown us, i think, some of the better parts of americans and our nature and what this country can be and what this country should continue to aspire to be. Just getting into some of the logistics, right now you are seeing john mccains wife, cindy mccain, saying goodbye. Right now the hearse carrying senator mccain is heading to phoenix sky harbor, the airport in phoenix, will it will take off and head to joint base andrews in washington, d. C. Where senator mccain will lie in state at the capitol on friday. This just, the middle now of what is going to be many days of