Words of Light and Hope from Helena Crockford LLM

Words of Light and Hope
21 St January 2024
Helena Crockford LLM

This Sunday falls in the middle of the annual Week of
Prayer for Christian Unity. This comes every year
between 18 th and 25 th January, between the feast days of
St Peter and St Paul, the patronal festivals for the
magnificent Salle church. Jesus prayed, ‘The glory that
You have given me I have given them, so that they may
be one, as We are one.’ John 17.22.
Each year a different country leads worldwide prayers for
Christian Unity. This year it is Burkina Faso, West Africa,
a country suffering internal terrorism, community
divisions and displacement since 2016 with Christians
amongst those targeted. But faith leaders are working
together to foster peace, reconciliation, and restore
social cohesion. In the path to Christian unity, ‘Christ
does not seek to minimise differences, but rather to
establish connection through gracious listening, replacing
exclusion and shame with the hope of new beginnings.’
They share a proverb of hope of the Mossi people:
“Regardless of the nature or duration of the fight, the
moment of reconciliation will come.”
We are invited to pray this week using words drawing on
Luke 10:27 – “You shall love the Lord your God . . . and
your neighbour as yourself. . .”
‘Lord, open our hearts to those we do not see’
‘May we never turn away from those in need’

‘Lord, help us see the wounds and find hope’
‘Help me, Lord, to receive your love,
that I may make you manifest in loving well,
both myself and my neighbour.’
‘Holy God, your Son Jesus Christ came among us
to show us the way of compassion.
Help us by your Spirit to follow his example,
to serve the needs of all your children,
and so witness together as Christians
to your ways of love and mercy.
We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.’