For Christ is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of hostility that kept us apart … in order to make the two into one new person, thus establishing peace and reconciling us all to God in one body through the cross...
(Ephesians 2:14–16, The Inclusive Bible)
Many Christians in Korea and around the world who pray for the Peace of Christ to be realized on Earth have never ceased their prayers and efforts for peace on the Korean peninsula. The following prayer has been provided by a group of Korean ministers in The United Church of Canada. Please join with them in their prayers for the end of the prolonged hostility, for the peaceful coexistence and the prosperity for all people involved, by using this common prayer in your faith community and your personal devotions.
God of Peace,
you reconcile with us in Christ
and break down the dividing walls between people.
Today we remember our kinfolk on the Korean peninsula
and unite our voices with them in prayer.
We remember the Korean people,
united as one nation for five thousand years,
who have been forcibly separated from each other by external forces
in the wake of colonial occupation
and the devastation of the Second World War.
They have been divided and set against one another for seventy years:
hurting each other, living in fear, resentment, and brokenness.
Have mercy on us, O God.
Help them overcome division and confrontation.
Travel with them as they move toward peace and harmony.
Pour out your Spirit on world leaders,
politicians, communities, and average people.
May they resolve their differences not with weapons,
but through dialogue and negotiation,
that the Korean people may find the way
toward a common good and the well-being of all.
We also pray for those suffering from war
and violent conflict around the world:
remembering people in Israel-Palestine, Syria, and the Middle East,
and the millions of refugees displaced from their homes
due to conflict and violence.
Inspire and encourage us, O God,
that the global community may work together
not for the interests of political and economic elites,
or the military-industrial complex,
but for equality, human dignity, and peaceful coexistence.
Help us, O God,
to stay alert and keep praying, to follow the way of Jesus,
to embrace with courage the Spirit of truth, freedom, and peace
as witnesses to your presence and your work among us.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
For a copy of this prayer in Korean, e-mail worship@united-church.ca.