O Christ, whose body was broken for the peace of the world, give
your patient and compassionate Spirit
to all who pray and work for peace;
and the courage to reject
all symbols and semblances of power
in the pursuit of unity and reconciliation,
following in the way of your own suffering and weakness. Amen.
For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.