Where can we begin the journey to reconciliation? For over a century this desire has brought Christians together to celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, beginning on January 18^th and culminating on the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul on the 25^th. Every Church is invited to pray, each in its own way and fashion, but moved by the same intention of Christian unity. Each year, a different community carries the torch, sharing the unique “fragrence” of their tradition. This year's material was prepared by the Armenian Apostolic Church, one of the world’s oldest Christian communities, which can be traced back to the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew. This beautiful country nestled in the Caucasus Mountains became the first to adopt Christianity as its state religion in 301 AD, almost eighty years before the Roman Empire did.

There is one Body and one Spririt

This year our Armenian brothers guide us through all the ways God called us to unity throughout the Holy Scriptures, from Abram and Lot to Ephesians 4:4: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling”. A body divided against itself cannot stand; it works against the one hope that we truly share: the salvation of humanity.

We have just witnessed two events this past November, one a worldwide resonating gathering in Nicea with world leaders of the great Christian traditions and the other, a day long encounter of eleven different Churches’ local US and Canadian leaders in Washington, DC. Both occasions encouraged us along this challenging ecumenical path.  

Anniversary in Nicea

“Around the Creed, the Church at Nicaea rediscovered its unity,” Pope Leo said during his trip to Turkey in November, which celebrated the 1,700th anniversary of the first ecumenical council in history. He said it while flanked by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and other representatives of the Christian Churches of the world, on a platform on the barren shores of Lake Iznik, in front of the mostly submerged ruins of the Basilica of St. Neophytos. As brought out by the Holy Father’s reflection, this platform seemed a symbol of hope for “the desire for unity for which the Lord Jesus prayed and gave his life” against the desolate landscape of the “scandal of divisions” within Christianity.

Can we truly be witnesses of peace before the world if we do not even desire reconciliation with our Christian brothers and sisters? “If you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift”.

A Common Truth

This week of prayer reminds us to put in God's hands our desire for unity, which is, in the words of the Pope and the Ecumenical Patriarch, “a gift from above, not merely the results of human efforts”. Only in our Lord those efforts can really bear fruit, “for apart from me you can do nothing”.

In one of his first Angelus messages/reflections, Pope Leo explained that unity “is fostered by forgiveness and mutual trust”. In Turkey he reiterated that we are guided by a common Truth, our shared faith in “one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages... consubstantial with the Father”.

The Fruits of Ecumenism in Turkey

If together we recognize the true identity of Christ, together we must reject its use to justify wars and divisions. In their joint declaration, Pope Leo and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew invited all Christians not to limit themselves to this, but to make peace known as a gift from God through the example of our reconciliation. At the private meeting between the leaders of Christian churches and communities in Istanbul, the Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance, Botrus Mansour, joined them on this matter: “In Nazareth Jesus showed that his identity as the Son is inseparable from his mission to heal, restore, liberate and be messiah”. Ecumenism doesn't ignore the truth in the name of peace, but seeks peace in the name of truth. In the same way, the Nicene Creed is not the symbol of the victory of one faction, it is the symbol of a dialogue of all Christians that shaped the content of our faith.

A Magdala November in Washington

On November the 20th, the Museum of the Bible inaugurated a yearlong exhibit of the original Magdala Stone and Dead Sea Scrolls and invited me to address the hundreds of assembled guests. Earlier that day, with bi-partisan sponsorship, I offered the Opening Prayer at the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep Tom Emmer spoke highly of Magdala. Rep Pete Aguilar was co-sponsor.  

Magdala’s One Step Closer carried the breath of Galilee to the heart of Washington. On November the 21st, at the Museum of the Bible, Christians from eleven different Churches of both Eastern and Western traditions in the USA and Canada, gathered to explore how we can work together through hospitality to allow emerging friendships to replace prejudices and model pathways to overcome societies’ rampant divisiveness. Promising relationships developed while we experienced both the richness of our different backgrounds and our oneness in Christ.

Archaeology awakens us to recognize our bonds with generations of people of different cultures across history. Praying in the US Capitol alerted me to the immense challenges of refereeing and harmonizing the complex interests of over three hundred million citizens in the worldwide network of eight billion people who now comprise the human family. It motivated me to dedicate even greater focus to helping us all understand each other, especially within our own vast Christian family of two and half billion members.  

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

You are invited to check out the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity this January in your local community under the motto "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling" (Ephesians 4:4). Enjoy these texts in six languages prepared by the World Council of Churches together with the Inter-Church Relations Department of the Armenian Apostolic Church and published by the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches and the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.  

One Step Closer: Hospitality Together

Here in Magdala, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, we know that, as Pope Francis said, unity is not achieved on the drawing board, but in life. It is achieved in the “doing” together. Through One Step Closer, we are trying to weave threads of reconciliation into tangible friendship. We are building a restaurant – a place of hospitality – supported by various Christian churches. Our volunteers don’t just pray together. Side-by-side, they welcome the pilgrim and the stranger. As we look toward the ruins of Nicaea and the mountains of Armenia this January, let’s ask ourselves: where can I start? Perhaps it begins with a prayer, or a warm helping hand extended to a brother or sister of a different tradition in your own neighborhood. Those leaders on the platform at Lake Iznik, a symbol of hope rising out of the ruins, encourage us as we believe that what started in Galilee can once again reach the ends of the earth.

Riham Abu Zied - Assistant Housekeeping Manager  

“I love the beautiful relationships we enjoy in Magdala”

Riham’s eight years of work as a trained and certified Gym & Swim Coach with all ages has developed her people skills. She enjoys working with people, including those with special needs and cross-culturally.  Every day we see her big smile as she carries out her responsibilities all around Magdala.  

Her Muslim family suffered a severe blow when her father, Mahmud, lost his life in 2019 after a heart attack. He was only fifty-two years old. New joy came for her mother and her two brothers in June 2020 when Riham married Bassam, an engineer, who runs his family’s car-mechanics business. They are now the proud parents of 2 girls and a boy between ages four and one and a half years.

Riham started in Magdala as a housekeeper in July 2024. She worked hard beyond expectations and doing extra to help others. After a few months she was promoted to Assistant Housekeeping Manager. She likes the respectful and friendly environment among the workers where good relationships are continually flourishing.