Be-Longing: Praying for Unity amidst Injustice
God of Unity, forgive us when we are self-serving and help us to grow in unity and understanding as we extend your love and justice to all.
For this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity we are guided by the churches of Minneapolis as we seek to explore how the work of Christian unity can contribute to the promotion of racial justice across all levels of society. The murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020 was described as a watershed moment. The group has also focussed our attention on the 30th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence, which we mark this year. The work of restoring hope through justice undertaken in Stephen’s memory continues to inspire and change lives for the better.
As we join with Christians around the world for this year’s Week of Prayer we pray that our hearts will be open to see and hear the many ways in which racism continues to destroy lives, and to discern the steps we can take as individuals and communities to heal the hurts and build a better future for everyone.
Dr Nicola Brady, General Secretary, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.