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The National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) and the Korean Christian Federation (KCF) have worked together to prepare the “2017 Easter Joint North-South Prayer.”
The prayer expresses the joy of the resurrection and the sorrow of 70 years of separation between South and North Korea.
“We have lost the hopes of ‘becoming one with God’, and have sought after earthly goods instead of peace,” reads the prayer. “Clear away the pain-filled memories of separation, and also the rusty barbed-wires.”
People around the world are encouraged to join in the prayer, which calls for a life of harmony and peace on the Korean peninsula.
“Lord, help us first open our firmly closed hearts, so that we can embrace each other with tenderness,” reads the prayer. “Let us sow the seeds of tolerance, love and service, and with God’s blessings, may that land bear much fruit, and bless our people with a life full of joy and harmony.”
The prayer reflects the desire among many organizations, including the World Council of Churches, for reunification of the Korean peninsula. “Help us remember the days when the North and the South once were one, to better live into a world of harmony and peace,” reads the prayer.
Kurt Esslinger, a mission co-worker with the Presbyterian Church (USA) who also represents the reconciliation and unification department of the National Council of Churches in Korea, said he hopes the prayer may be a useful resource for churches in praying for resurrection and peace.
“We encourage you to share it with your communities and to use it in Easter services where it is appropriate,” he said.
Easter Prayer 2017 from North and South Korea
