An Easter prayer for peace on the Korean Peninsula, published by the National Council of Churches in Korea, March 2026
God of life, who raises the dead,
we give you thanks for the sound of flowing water beneath the frozen ground,
telling us that spring is coming.
We praise you for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who brings life out of death
and shows us that there is a way even where the path seems closed.
God, remember this land, the Korean Peninsula.
We once shared joy and sorrow
as one land and one people,
yet through long years of division
we have nurtured fear and hostility toward one another.
The armistice has become an unfinished war.
Dialogue has come to a halt, and military tension and the arms race
continue to place this land on the brink of conflict.
God, we confess our sin.
Even as we speak of peace, we have deepened distrust and chosen confrontation.
Even as we speak of reconciliation, we have excluded one another.
Even as we speak of coexistence, we have pursued only our own interests.
Even as we speak of life, we have relied on military power and the logic of hostility.
Merciful God, awaken us from this foolishness and turn us back to you.
Risen Lord, open again the path of life on this land.
May the South and the North lay down hostility and move toward peace.
Lead us beyond the armistice toward a true peace system,
and toward the path of a peace treaty.
Let broken relationships be restored.
Let blocked paths be opened,
so that exchange and cooperation may begin again.
Teach us to speak words of respect instead of threat,
and to build lasting trust beyond temporary interests.
In this year marking 81 years of division,
rekindle among us the flame of love for one another.
Grant us humble and patient hearts
to learn from each other
and to faithfully keep the promises we have made for peace.
God, we remember.
Forty years ago, in the small village of Glion in Switzerland,
we crossed the barriers of division,
called one another sisters and brothers,
and shared the same bread.
May that holy memory
when we confessed our unity in Christ beyond ideology and systems
open a new way for us today.
Let the churches of the South and the North
join hands once again
to pray and work together for peace on this land.
Where there is hatred, let there be reconciliation.
Where there is distrust, let there be trust.
Where there is confrontation, let there be dialogue.
Make us bridges of peace.
God, may the peace of the Korean Peninsula
not remain within this land alone.
May it become a path that loosens tensions in Northeast Asia
and a living witness that contributes to ending war and violence in the world.
We remember those who suffer from war in our time.
We cry out for lives being lost in the Middle East
and in many places around the world.
May our prayers become a voice,
our solidarity become action,
and even our smallest acts become seeds of just peace.
God, on this Easter morning,
call us again to commitment.
Make us not people who wait for peace,
but people who make peace.
With love that crosses the walls of division,
with respect and trust toward one another,
and with faith that overcomes fear,
make your church a community that brings closer the spring of this land.
Creator God, renew your love within us,
and through that love
lead us to cultivate peace in this land and in the world.
May our lives bear witness to the resurrection,
and may our steps become the path of peace.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ,
who rose from the dead. Amen.
The National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK)
20 March 2026
