Christian Denominations in Kenya Urged to Embrace Christ-Like Love to Overcome Religious, Ethnic Divisions

Nairobi, 24 January, 2025 / 10:04 PM

To overcome religious and ethnic divisions in Kenya, Christians in the East African country must embrace Christ-like love, a member of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) Ecumenical Committee, has said.

Speaking during the 2025 Ecumenical service that the CUEA Ecumenical Committee organized during the 2025 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Senior Counsel Mary Kang’ethe explained the significance of the event in fostering unity among Christians in Kenya and the entire region.

“The love of Christ that unites all Christians is stronger than the different religious and ethnic divisions,” Ms. Kang’ethe said in her opening remarks at the event that was held at the University’s Learning Resource Centre (LRC) on Thursday, January 23.

She emphasized that embracing the love of Christ offers hope for restoring what seems lifeless, inspiring Christians to believe in the revival of seemingly hopeless situations within their communities.

Ms. Kang’ethe stated that the ecumenical service was aimed at reminding Christians of Christ’s unconditional love in the face of conflicts and political instability affecting countries in the region, such as South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Ethiopia.

She also highlighted issues such as unemployment, abductions, forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, widespread corruption, systemic injustice, and the effects of global warming in some East African nations, attributing these challenges to a lack of love among Christians.

Traditionally observed from January 18 to 25, the Week of Prayer is marked by a series of liturgical and communal events. This year’s week of prayer was organized under the theme “Do you believe this?” drawn from the Gospel of St. John.

Representatives from different Christian denominations, including Priests and Religious women participated in the January 23 Ecumenical service.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Kang’ethe reflected on the event’s theme, saying, “Today's theme is a wake-up call for the Church to be right with God, as Lazarus was.” She reminded Christians that just as Jesus showed compassion and brought hope in the story of Lazarus, He can bring healing to modern-day crises.

“As Jesus wept when He learned His friend Lazarus was dead, He will be compassionate to the dead situations in our context and heal our region and respective countries,” she said.

Ms. Kang’ethe emphasized the importance of unity among Christians which she said provides an opportunity for Christians to reflect on shared faith, as expressed in the Nicene Creed that the second ecumenical council of the Christian church formulated during the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD.

She said that the ecumenical week this year was presented as an invitation to draw from the Creed and deepen the faith that unites all Christians.

Ms. Kang’ethe challenged churches to collaborate actively by walking, praying, and working together in mutual love. She encouraged attendees to see the week as more than an annual observance, describing it as the foundation for lasting collaboration across church boundaries.

Speaking at the end of the service, Peter De Mey, a professor at Roman Catholic ecclesiology and ecumenism at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies at KU Leuven University, reflected on his experience of the events, and emphasized the importance of sincere relationships in fostering good ecumenical relations.

“I'm convinced that for good ecumenical relations in a country, it is important to get to know each other well and build a sincere relationship,” Professor De Mey said.

He added, “This Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is not an annual duty exercise but is the beginning of longer-lasting encounters and collaborations across church boundaries.”