In the Scripture passage chosen for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2023, the prophet Isaiah teaches us how we are to cure these ills.
Learning to do right requires the decision to engage in self-reflection. The Week of Prayer is the perfect time for Christians to recognize that the divisions between our churches and confessions cannot be separated from the divisions within the wider human family. Praying together for Christian unity allows us to reflect on what unites us and to commit ourselves to confront oppression and division amongst humanity.
The prophet Micah points out that God has told us what is good and what God requires of us: “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Mic 6:8). To act justly means that we have respect for all persons. Justice requires truly equitable treatment in order to address historic disadvantage based on “race”, gender, religion and socioeconomic status. To walk humbly with God requires repentance, reparations, and finally reconciliation.
God expects us to unite in a shared responsibility for equity for all God’s children. The unity of Christians should be a sign and foretaste of the reconciled unity of the entire creation. However, Christian division weakens the force of that sign, serving to reinforce division rather than bring healing to the world’s brokenness which is the Church’s mission.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2023 in Southern Hemisphere usually takes place the week leading up to Pentecost Sunday (based on the western calendar). We have compiled a series of reflective videos from the resources provided by World Council of Churches.
Each day we will post a link for the 8 days of reflections as well as on our FACEBOOK and TWITTER page. Click on the link below and it will take you to a reflection video on our YOUTUBE channel. Thank you to everyone who contributed toward making these videos. We hope you enjoy listening to the reflections and feel free to share with family, friends, members of your church.