THE KUKMIN DAILY

On March 23, the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) and the Joseon Christian Federation (JCF) of North Korea issued the “2015 Easter Joint Prayer of the South Korean and North Korean Churches.” The two organizations have announced a joint prayer every Easter since 1996, and have prayed it together.

In this year’s prayer, NCCK and JCF express their vision of the road to forgiveness and reconciliation, looking back on the 70 years of division. The prayer confesses, “It has been 70 years since the pain of division covered up the joy of an incomplete liberation. This morning, as we remember the joy of the Resurrection, there resonates in our hearts a voice telling us to forgive each other and reconcile… We repent our weak faith, to which we have only given lip service without action, despite the reality of ever-increasing division and rule by the forces of death.”

The two organizations confess in the prayer, “We were afraid to meet each other, let alone forgive each other… This was rooted in our distrust, and was because we did not believe and love each other.” They pray, “Jesus did not ask the crowds their sins, but forgave them and showed them the road to the salvation of humanity… May the same flames of forgiveness and reconciliation that Jesus showed us, spread through all the Korean people and all the regions of Korea.”

The two organizations appealed for the dream of Korean reunification to come true according to the Lord’s will, saying, “Help us not to give up in our race for forgiveness, reconciliation, and reunification… We pray that a new life of resurrection will be born in this land, as You have enabled us through the resurrection to see hope in the midst of despair and death.”

The joint prayer will be used at the 2015 NCCK United Easter Service of the Korean Church, to be held at Jungang Lutheran Church on Soweol-ro in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and at the services of NCCK member churches, on Easter Sunday, April 5.

* The photo was taken on August 15, 2014, Korea’s Liberation Day, at Joint Prayers for Peace and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula held at Bongsu Church in Pyongyang.

Reporter Jin Samyeol (samuel@kmib.co.kr), with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)


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