By Jaclyn Sharmele
Jan 30 2021
Due to the pandemic, the Ecumenical Prayer Service for Christian unity this year was held on a digital platform and was hosted by the Cathedral of St John The Evangelist with the theme: Abide in my love and you shall bear much Fruit John 15: 1-17.
The Ecumenical Prayer service for Christian Unity is an event held on a yearly basis between Jan 18 and Jan 25. This annual observance, which began in 1908 as the Octave of Christian Unity, focuses on prayer for unity among Christian communities throughout the world
Although unable to come together physically this year due to the Movement Control Order, the Christian community was united in prayer digitally with the active participation of churches from around the Kuala Lumpur city centre; to name a few; the Presbysterian Church, Wesley Methodist Church, the Lutheran Church, Mar Thoma Syrian Church, the Anglican Church and the Catholic Church, with representatives from the Christian Federation of Malaysia, the Council of Churches of Malaysia and the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship.
Many netizens from the various churches also joined in the prayer which was telecast through the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist’s Facebook page.
In his opening address, Archbishop Julian Leow, urged all Christians to pray and work for reconciliation and unity in the Church and with our human family. It takes great effort to get along with others but we must keep this oneness through Christ and be nourished by Him, because cut off from Him, we can produce nothing.
He reiterated that unity is the state of being one or single minded and he reminded us to be thankful for all that we have achieved, though much still remains to be done. “For the way forward we need patience as exulted by St Paul in Ephesians: 4, those who were called in Christ should always be humble and gentle with everyone, especially with one another. They should also be patient and cover everyone with love, just as Christ did — there is just one body of Christ and one spirit. Therefore, the unity of the spirit must be seen in the people who make up the body”.
Archbishop Leow’s fervent hope is that all Christians, work and pray together towards one goal, that we all may be one. – Herald Malaysia
