Lord who oversees our history!

This year, we face the 70th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan. On the day when we passed beyond the bitter persecution of the Japanese colonial era, our people sang a song of liberation. The song from our deep hearts flowed down like a stream of tears from everywhere South/North, North/South, Pyongyang/Seoul, and Seoul/Pyongyang. Today, the roar of that day echoes through our hearts. However, we have been living with as much hatred as in the Japanese colonial era with our hostile divided state. O Lord, have mercy on us!

 

Lord of Comfort!

It has been 70 years since we were divided. Although the Jews, who were taken captive to Babylon, returned to their home freely as prophesied, we are living without embracing the hope of Reunification that we had expected would come soon. Now all land routes, railroads, and seaways are blocked despite having travelled them more freely during the Japanese colonial era. We live in nothing but an unfree situation in which bugs, animals, seeds, and the fruit of trees also are confined in South and North / North and South. Oh Lord, let the liberation of that day live in our hearts again. Let us prepare our song in a chorus of reunification from all over the world.

 

Lord of Peace!

Like the unchanging sky and land, strong nations surrounding this land have been continually pressuring us, the same as it had ever been, for 70 years. We sometimes expected them to come in the role of a mediator of peace; however, militarily and economically they have considered their own advantage first. Recently a military alliance between the U.S. and Japan has been strengthened, and an alliance between China and Russia has stabilized. They fan the flame of crisis by perpetually competing in an arms race by promoting exclusive military cooperation agreements. The way that our people can survive by ourselves is to hold exchanges, to communicate with each other, and to be reconciled, cooperating together; however, we are foolishly reinforcing our dividing wall even more. Oh Lord, change our minds and help us to repent of our sin.

 

Lord of Mercy!

Waiting for 70 years, we hope the complete peace of the Lord will be manifest in this world. We eagerly wish that our history of conflict and fighting which has been recurring for 70 years will soon be over. Brother and sister share one same blood; our people, who (traditionally) wore the white garments, expect to recover our high dignity through beautiful union and peaceful reunification in East Asia and the world. We are dreaming that news of reconciliation will ripple through the East Sea and South Sea all around us, and that the news of peace will be a great wind gusting out to Eurasia passing over Mt. Baekdu and to the Pacific Ocean passing over Jeju Island. Oh Lord, please fulfill our hopes without fail.

 

Lord who makes one!

At this moment when South and North / North and South are praying for reunification with one heart, make us into apostles of peace. Just like Jesus’ disciples, who became messengers of reconciliation after overcoming all fear, let all of us who were called as Christians be able to fulfil the duties of “the ministry of reconciliation.”

 

We pray in Jesus’ name, the One who achieved victory over death on the Cross, was resurrected, and gave us eternal life. Amen.

 

National Council of Churches in Korea               Korean Christian Federation Central Committee


Click here for the Korean version of this prayer.