30 April 2012
National Council of Churches in Korea calls for peace building
Gathering for an emergency prayer meeting today (30 April), the
National Council of Churches in Korea is urging people to confess
their sins and work towards peace.
Their full statement follows:
"For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one
and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility
between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and
ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in
place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both
groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death
that hostility through it." (Ephesians 2:14-16 NRSV)
Today the tension between North and South Korea has been increasing
more than ever before. Each expresses outrage, irritating the other
rather than making an effort toward dialogue, compromise,
reconciliation and being together. After the reports of North
Korea's failure to launch a long-range rocket, Lee Myung Bak, the
President of South Korea, irritated North Korea, by mentioning the
necessity of reform of farm land, as well as talking of "Jasmine
Reformation" and that dictatorship government could not be
maintained even if one man is very strong. Furthermore, our
military aggravated the threat of war, displaying fearful missile
ability which can attack all the area in North Korea including the
office of Kim Jung Eun, the first chairperson of the Defence
Committee. As a counteraction, North Korea has been dramatically
increasing its level of criticism and offensive words. In this time
of tension, people are shaking with the anxiety of an outbreak of
war.
War on the Korean peninsula should not be permitted for any reason.
Our important mission is to put down all the guns and swords, to
make reconciliation and to put an end to war, and, one step
further, to achieve peace and reunification through reconciliation
and being together. Even though there are differences in ideology
and position between the two Koreas, any expression or action of
hatred, irritating and threatening each other is not be beneficial
to anyone. Moreover showing off unadvisedly the ability of military
power, instigating an arms race, and promoting conflict and war
should not be happening again.
We, Christians, should confess and repent our sin in not rightly
responding to, and not living according to, God's call to peace and
should clearly acknowledge today's situation which is rapidly
moving towards conflict between North and South and is not content
with the 60 years of agony and pain. We, all people of North and
South, should keep ourselves awake and pray for peace on the Korean
peninsula as well as making every effort to accomplish it.
1. Both governments in North Korea and South Korea should restrain
words and actions heightening tension and conflict in the Korean
peninsula, and should make every effort to achieve peace through
dialogue.
2. South Korean government should refrain from its hard line policy
toward North Korea and change to peace and reconciliation, and
therefore contribute to national great task of building
peace.
3. Politicians should commit themselves to avoid any military clash
between North and South which is threatening people's life,
security, and possession.
4. The press and journalists should refrain from sensational and
inflammatory reporting, making people anxious and threatening peace
in Korean peninsula.
30th of April, 2012, by all participants of the urgent prayer
meeting praying for peace in the Korean peninsula.
Steve Pearce, Partnership Coordinator for the Methodist Church in
Britain, said: "These are difficult days in Korea. Many are living
with worry and hunger, many are fearful of acts of violence.
Christians in both North and South Korea need to know that they are
in our prayers. Both we and our leaders need to speak and act in
ways that lead to peace and not be tempted to the easier words of
confrontation."
Prayer for Korea:
God, lover of peace and concord,
We pray for our brothers and sisters in Korea,
May they, both in the North and the South, know peace in these days
of tension.
We pray for all those who speak words of peace and work for
justice,
and ask that all may have the strength to avoid words of hatred and
acts of violence.
We pray for those who lead and those who follow,
that they may see reconciliation and unity as worthy and achievable
goals.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our peace,
who has broken down the wall of hostility that we might all be
one.
Amen.