Dear sisters and brothers, dear friends in the worldwide ecumenical fellowship,
in these days we are celebrating the turning from the dark to the light, from Jesus being crucified to the risen Christ. Easter reminds us that even in times of darkness and despair there is new hope and life arising.
In view of Russia’s brutal war of aggression on Ukraine, the continuing dangers of climate change and the many crisis in this world, many people are feeling uncertain and helpless. In this context, the traditional Easter morning greeting „The Lord is risen. He is truly risen!“ becomes a greeting of hope: From God’s perspective, uncertainty and helplessness should not have the last word. God’s power is stronger than death. In the face of wars, violent conflicts and the consequences of climate change, Easter gives us the confidence that peace is possible, and that God wants to preserve this world and life. A conversion to life is possible!
In these days we are aware of our unitedness with our brothers and sisters on the Korean peninsula and we are sharing their Easter Prayer for peace:
God!
May the spirit of reconciliation reign on the Korean Peninsula, guiding us towards ending all hostile actions!
Rather than pursuing the path to peace, we have chosen to engage in accusations and slander towards each other and persist in conducting war exercises, which only serve to aggravate misunderstanding and hostility. For over 70 years, the two Koreas have remained divided, unable to heal the wounds and pain of the past. We pray that all hostilities will be eliminated from the Korean Peninsula.
God,
May the spirit of unity prevail as we pray for renewed trust between the North and the South!
While speaking of peace and reconciliation, we have only accumulated misunderstandings and hostility. While speaking of cooperation and mutual growth, we have only fostered conflicts and discord. We repent for confessing only with our lips God’s peace, reconciliation, and unity, while failing to live them out in our actions. We pray that the Korean Peninsula, through the mutual building of trust, may become a gateway to peace and a stepping stone for world peace. We earnestly hope that trust may be restored once again between the North and the South.
God,
May the spirit of love that fills our hearts with joy also move us towards reconciliation and peace on the Korean Peninsula!
We pray that the churches in the North and the South, in particular, will be firmly rooted in Christ’s love, which can transform the hardened hearts of people on both sides. We also pray that those who speak words of distrust and hostility will be transformed to those who speak words of dialogue and understanding. May the Korean Peninsula become a place of coexistence and a land of life, rather than a battlefield of violence and destruction.
As we mark the 70th anniversary of the 1953 Korea Armistice Agreement, which unfortunately did not formally end the war, we are committed to continuing our journey towards building a sustainable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula that replaces the Armistice Agreement.
We pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, who leads us towards peace and reconciliation.