WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
JANUARY 18–25, 2023
The theme of this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is: “Do good; seek justice.” (Isaiah 1: 17)
The Prophet Isaiah reflects his concern for the oppressed who suffer from injustice and inequality fed by hypocrisy that leads to disunity. He teaches that God requires righteousness and justice from all of us, to create the peace and unity that God desires. These virtues originate in God’s love for all, and racism runs counter to this vision. Isaiah’s challenge to do good and seek justice together applies equally to us today.
THE MEANING OF THE KING HOLIDAY
By Coretta Scott King
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday celebrates the life and legacy of a
man who brought hope and healing to America. We commemorate as well the
timeless values he taught us through his example — the values of courage, truth,
justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service that so radiantly defined Dr. King’s
character and empowered his leadership. On this holiday, we commemorate the
universal, unconditional love, forgiveness and nonviolence that empowered his
revolutionary spirit.
We commemorate Dr. King’s inspiring words, because his voice and his vision filled a great void in our nation, and answered our collective longing to become a country that truly lived by its noblest principles. Yet, Dr. King knew that it wasn’t enough just to talk the talk, that he had to walk the walk for his words to be credible. And so we commemorate on this holiday the man of action, who put his life on the line for freedom and justice every day, the man who braved threats and jail and beatings and who ultimately paid the highest price to make democracy a reality for all Americans.
The King Holiday honors the life and contributions of America’s greatest champion of racial justice and equality, the leader who not only dreamed of a colorblind society, but who also lead a movement that achieved historic reforms to help make it a reality.
On this day we commemorate Dr. King’s great dream of a vibrant, multiracial nation united in justice, peace and reconciliation; a nation that has a place at the table for children of every race and room at the inn for every needy child. We are called on this holiday, not merely to honor, but to celebrate the values of equality, tolerance and interracial sister and brotherhood he so compellingly expressed in his great dream for America.