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Christian Conference of Asia
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Pray for Peace in OrissaJanuary 24, 2008 To All Member Churches and Member Council of CCA. With this letter I'm calling the member churches of Christian Conference of Asia to work, hope and pray in solidarity with those suffering from the very tragic Orissa Communal violence in India. Churches, houses, shops, and food grains burned to ashes; people have been live in trauma; people suffering from tremendous violence are in urgent need of basic supply. Not only responding to the official Letter of appeal of NCC-India and Joint Statement of Jan 7, 2008 by NCCI, CBCI and UCC, but also to take our initiatives in solidarity, this appeal is to call for a resolution of the conflict and peace building and reconciliation in Orissa. The world in Orissa seems to be divided between Christians and non-Christians; The minority and majority. The victims and perpetrators. The world in Orissa seems to be facing the most severe burden for countless people, who ought to live in peace and harmony. The world is not to be lived in exclusive diversity but in inclusive variety - for we are not called to live in this world without our neighbors. It is God who turned through grace and mercy our enemies into friends. It is God who turned us, who remained alienated as enemies to God, to human beings in God's Righteousness. It is God who set us free from any criteria dividing, excluding and discriminating. As Christians we are invited to live in communion of joy with God, called to live in peace and harmony with God's whole creative, for we are set free to live the life of love. Herewith the CCA (Christian Conference of Asia) is calling for a prayer in solidarity during the week for Christian Unity for the victims of violence, the people in pain and suffering in Orissa. We call on our CCA member churches and councils to assist the rehabilitation by sending their support to NCCI. Let us pray: For peace in your country For the victims of violence everywhere For those struggling for peace and justice For churches in conflict situations For a world without war and violence Let us hope in obedience and confidence that: God will deliver us from death to life, from falsehood to truth, from despair to hope,from fear to trust. God will turn hate to love, enemies to friends, and will fill the world with peace and love. Amen. Bible text which can be used in prayers and worship in solidarity with the people's Orissa Communal Violence. Happy are you who are hungry now: you will be filled! Happy are you who weep now: you will laugh! Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you, and say that you are evil, all because of the Son of Man! Be glad when that happens and dance for joy because a great reward is kept for you in heaven. (Luke 6:20-23a) All this is done by God, who through Christ changed s from enemies into his friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also. Our message is that God was making all human beings his friends through Christ. God did not keep an account of their sins, and he has given us the message which tells how he makes them his friends. Here we are, then, speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ's behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends! Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God. (2 Cor 5: 18-21) Faithfully, Dr. Prawate Khid-arn, General Secretary Christian conference of Asia posted by cbs on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 |
