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| Cultivating a Culture of Peace We are thrilled to introduce our new series, “Cultivating a Culture of Peace.” This initiative brings together prayers and reflections from leaders around the world, offering insights and inspiration on fostering peace in our communities and beyond. Join us over the next few weeks as we embark on this journey, exploring the values and actions that can help build a more just and flourishing world. In this email, we have a prayer and reflection from Bishop Anthony Poggo, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, and an interview with Reverend Benjamin Ulbricht, Secretary of Theology and Sustainability at the Christian Council of Churches in Sweden. |
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| Cultivating a culture of good conflicts |
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| I think there have been semi-conscious seeds of that in my upbringing. With a German background, you’re historically trained to think in terms of reconciliation. There were a lot of reconciliation initiatives for young people when I was growing up. Then living several years in Taizé also cultivated a sense of reconciliation as being a part of the Christian journey. Then there’s the internal aspect—the culture of the heart. And there it’s very much about inserting space and time into our conflicts and conversations. It’s about listening beyond words—beyond accusations—for feelings and for the needs of the other person. It’s disentangling myself from the other person’s words, feelings, and needs because quite often I entangle myself in a bad way. I see myself as the cause of the other person’s feelings and needs—and that’s not a good connection. Disentangling myself from this means I can be present with them and not take things personally. |
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| Reflection from Bishop Anthony Poggo |
| The UN International Day of Peace and Peace Sunday will be observed later this month. They provide an opportunity to reflect on the root causes of conflict and to engage in prayer for a more harmonious world. As followers of Jesus, we are called to reflect on our personal role in building peace and reconciliation and to be active peacemakers in our communities and beyond. May you be blessed by this reflection and prayer for peace from Bishop Anthony Poggo, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion. |
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| Prayer for peace Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we come before You today with heavy hearts, yet with unwavering faith. We pray for peace in the world, a peace that transcends understanding, a peace that heals the wounds of the past and fosters hope for the future. May Your Spirit of love and reconciliation dwell in the hearts of our leaders, inspiring them to govern with wisdom, justice, and compassion. Grant them the courage to seek peaceful solutions to conflict and to prioritize the well-being of their people. Bless our communities with harmony and unity. May we learn to live together in peace, respecting our differences and celebrating our common humanity. Inspire us to be instruments of Your peace, extending forgiveness, compassion, and support to those who suffer. May Your light dispel the darkness of hatred and division. Grant us the strength to work tirelessly for a world where all people can live in dignity and security. In Your holy name we pray, Amen. |
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| Run Difference with young people |
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| Join our free online training sessions designed for running Difference in secondary schools and church youth groups! Our team will be on hand to address any questions you may have throughout the process. Upon completing the training, you’ll receive full access to all our materials in the resources hub. If you have any questions, we would love to hear from you at hello@rln.global. |
Cultivating a Culture of Peace We are thrilled to introduce our new series, “Cultivating a Culture of Peace.” This initiative brings together prayers and reflections from leaders around the world, offering insights and inspiration on fostering peace in our communities and beyond. Join us over the next few weeks as we embark…
Formation 