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February 21, 2008

Korea context to be theme of 2009 week of prayer

by Jerry L. Van Marter
Presbyterian News Service

GENEVA — The World Council of Churches (WCC) has announced that Korea will be the focus of the 2009 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

At its recent meeting the planning committee for the annual prayer observance chose Ezekiel 37:15-23 — which contains the prophecy of the reunited kingdom of Israel — as the text for resources that will be developed for the 2009 week of prayer. “This passage reflects the situation of the Korean peninsula, which remains the only divided country in the world,” said Jung Hae-sun of the committee.

Most of the world’s churches, including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as well as global bodies such as the WCC, have repeatedly called for the peaceful reunification of Korea, which has been divided since the Korean War.

Korean division is emblematic of many divisions which plague the world, Hae-sun said. “The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2009 will reflect on the state of division, disparity, confrontation and antagonism, and lead to a journey to unity, peace and joy that everyone desires to accomplish,” he said in a prepared statement. “There are many places in the world, devastated by conflict, terror and war rooted in religious, ethnic and ideological causes. Christians are requested to pray for unity and peace-building.”

The history of Korean Christianity includes 240 years of the Catholic Church and 120 years of Protestant churches. Since at least 1965, the two church families have cooperated ecumenically. Preparations for the 2009 week of prayer are being done together by the Church Unity and Inter-Religious Dialogue Committees of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea and the National Council of Churches of Korea.