» The prayer «
Loving God,
we long for a life of peace with one another.
When egoism and injustice prevail,
when violence breaks out between people,
when reconciliation seems impossible,
you are the one who gives us hope and peace.
When differences in language,
culture or belief cause us to forget
that we are your creation and
that you have given us creation to take care of as a common home,
then are you the one who gives us hope and peace.
When people are played off against each other,
when power is abused in order to use others,
when events are manipulated
to deceive others, then you are the one
who gives us hope and peace.
Teach us to treat each other
justly and with compassion
and to withstand corruption.
Give us courageous women and men,
who heal the wounds that hate and violence
have left upon bodies and souls.
Help us to find the correct words, gestures and means
in order to promote peace.
In whatever language we confess you as
the „Prince of Peace“,
let our voices also be raised clearly
against violence and injustice.
Amen.
(Translation: Matthew Barlow)
The Ecumenical Peace Prayer 2022 in:
Ukrainian – Polish – Russian – German – French – Spanish
About the author
Sister Mary Grace Sawe was born in Kenya in 1974. The Missionary Sister of the Precious Blood CPS came to Germany in 2010 as a trained nurse.
Her work taught her, among other things, how important it is to listen – especially to sick and frail people. Since 2016, she has been working as a pastoral counsellor in a German parish and this year will begin a ministry in hospital chaplaincy.
With a view to her home country, she hopes for peaceful presidential elections in the summer of 2022.
The photo
This photograph was taken in January 2008 in Kibera, the largest slum in Kenya. Here had also occurred serious unrest in the aftermath of the presidential elections of December 2007. This encouraged the graffiti artist Solomon Muhandi to create his appeal for peace.
The state
The Republic of Kenya is located in East Africa. With around 50 million people on an area of 580,367 km², it is the seventh most populous country in Africa. 85 percent of the population are Christians of various denominations and around 11 percent belong to the Muslim faith.
Presidential elections in Kenya are regularly disputed and often associated with violence. Nevertheless, because it has never experienced a civil war or successful coup, Kenya is a positive exception in eastern Africa. The next elections are scheduled for 2022, hopefully peacefully.
You can find out more about Kenya on Wikipedia, for example.
Download:
The Ecumenical Peace Prayer 2022 in:
Ukrainian – Polish – Russian – German – French – Spanish