In a few weeks the entire peninsula of Korea will honor the memory of Liberation Day from Japanese Colonialism on August 15th, 1945. This will be a celebration full of mixed feelings as this day also marks the moment when two foreign powers, the Soviet Union and the United States made the decision without Korean authority to divide the peninsula into two zones. A line that generally follows the 38th Parallel became the line of division. Upon the Korean War, it also became an impassable wall separating families and independence partners who happened to be on the wrong side.
My new partner organization, the National Council of Churches of Korea is calling upon churches around the world to join them in praying for peace and reconciliation on the Korean peninsula. They have joined together with the Korean Christian Federation that represents Christians in North Korea to write a Joint Prayer for the Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula. Hyeyoung and I have also helped them translate a worship liturgy into English so that you all may use it or parts of it. On the Sunday before August 15th, which will be August 10th, churches in North and South Korea will use this worship liturgy and prayer this prayer together so that the responsible governments including the USA, Russia, China, South, and North Korea will dispense with hostile activities and seek peaceful reunification of the peninsula.
As Christians together we believe that our connection and power in Christ transcends the limited and imperfect means of nation states and their foreign policy decisions. Together in prayer we will find a way where there is no way as the Spirit guides us. Please join in prayer with us on August 10th, 2014.
I have attached the worship liturgy and the prayer in case you want to use it in your congregation’s worship or if you simply want to share it through whatever media your community prefers.
Joint North/South Worship Liturgy 2014
Reprinted with permission from Hyeyoung and Kurt’s Korean Adventure. Hyeyoung Lee and Kurt Esslinger serve the Young Adult Volunteer site coordinators in Daejeon, Korea. Kurt also serves with the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) in the Department of Reconciliation and Reunification (RRD).