Peace and recognition: the prayer of Ghana of Jerusalem

Religion of Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Source: clbadfmonline.com

2019-06-12

The Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, last week organized its annual breakfast prayer series to mobilize the international community of churches and heads of government "to line up in prayer on God's plan for Israel and Jerusalem ".

Ghana's Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, was invited as a special guest speaker at this year's ceremony.

At the head of the charge of a praying international fraternity, "the invitation of the Knesset resonates with the news around the world and the need for peace and gratitude.

This call to prayer is not only symbolic, it also sends a powerful reminder to all related spirits about our commitment to do the will of the God of Abraham, "said Ken Ofori-Atta on the sidelines of the event.

As the birthplace of Abrahamism, which includes Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Jerusalem appears as the likely historical environment of an international pole of prayer that speaks to the three great religions. Given the symbolic nature of Jerusalem, this call should be seen as an exercise in inclusive introspection for the world's major religions, and particularly in Africa.

Ghana's invitation to speak at this year's prayer breakfast echoes the aspirations of the founding members of Israel.

Since its inception in 1897, the movement for a Jewish state has aligned itself with Africa's struggle for independence and self-determination. In his speech to the Knesset, Mr. Ofori-Atta reminded the Israeli parliament of its long-standing solidarity with Africa through his words of the predecessors of the Jewish state, Dr. Theodor Herzl and Golda Meir.

Herzl and Meir in the years 1900 and 1950, respectively, expressed their enthusiasm "to help the redemption of the African peoples … [and] to work with Africa, side by side, in their fields and in their workshops. For Golda Meir: "All we ask of Africa is a return to friendship. "

A few decades later, the Abrahamic culture has grown throughout Africa and the continent is expected to contain the largest Christian population in the world by 2060, according to recent data from the Pew Research Center.

Read Ken Ofori-Atta's full speech at the Knesset breakfast below:

Remarks by KEN OFORI-ATTA, Minister of Finance,

Republic of Ghana Knesset Reception,

Jerusalem prayer breakfast

Jerusalem, Israel, June 5, 2019

Mr. Speaker of the Knesset, Knesset Members, Co-Chairs of the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast Movement, Robert Ilatov, Honorable Member of the US Congress, Michele Bachman, US Congressman, and Albert Veksler, Director of the Knesset JPBM distinguished distinguished colleagues from 65 countries and my colleagues from Ghana. :

1. I am deeply honored and honored to be here and bring you the warmest greetings from the Government, the good people of Ghana and our President, Nana Akufo-Addo, whom many of you have met and listened to the National Prayer Breakfast in February. in Washington DC when he gave his inspiring testimony.

2. It is both a joy and a privilege to join the Jerusalem prayer prayer movement in Jerusalem, in response to the Knesset's appeal to the nations, to pray for the Jerusalem peace and prosperity of Israel. It is very significant that this "gathering of nations" is an appeal to Christians by the Knesset, which literally means "gathering".

3. Last year, in September 2018, we organized the first, modest, prayer breakfast from Jerusalem to Ghana. It was the first time on the African continent! We are determined to make this humble beginning, like the mustard seed, a dynamic and important part of the Jerusalem Global Prayer Breakfast Movement.

4. We recall that part of the 70 years of the state of Israel includes a bold policy, initiated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the time, then by the Prime Minister, Golda Meir, in the late 1950s, aimed to support the nation-building efforts of the newly independent African nations. . This bold move by Golda Meir reflected Ben Gurion's conviction and was therefore linked to the aspirations of the founder of the Jewish state movement, Dr. Theodor Herzl, who in 1902 wrote in his novel Altneuland – Old-New Land – that " … once I have witnessed the redemption of the Jews, of my own people, I also wish to contribute to the redemption of the African peoples. " Golda Meir has thus concretized this aspiration. As she explained it then; "It's up to me to implement Dr. Herzl's vision," she added. "We will work side by side with Africa, in their fields and in their workshops. All we are asking from Africa is a return of friendship. "

5. My country, Ghana, has been one of the main beneficiaries of this initiative, which has notably contributed to the creation of our air force, where the head of my mother-in-law's squadron, Melody Danquah, became the first female pilot in Africa. the shipping company "Black Star Line" and in the agriculture sector, which saw Reverend Kwabena Darko join your kibbutz in 1959 and is now the most famous poultry farmer in Ghana.

6. What is remarkable about this bold initiative is that Golda Meir insists that it is NOT development aid, but international cooperation … if only the world had listened to it!

7. Perhaps more than the early years of our independence, Israel's experience in building the nation is even more relevant to us now. The President of Ghana, Her Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, recently made a bold statement of a "Ghana Beyond Aid"; a vision of a strong and confident nation that relies on its own resources, especially its people and spirituality, to transform itself and create prosperity for all.

8. If there is a country that understands this and has also demonstrated in 70 years that it is feasible, it is Israel well.

9. The decision of the Knesset, in accordance with the vision of MP Ilatov, to call for the prayer of all nations for the peace of Jerusalem and Israel, through the creation of the prayer breakfast movement of Jerusalem, is prophetic and affirms the importance of God in the nation-building. . This resonates with our own belief as a government that ultimately it is the Lord – the God of Heaven – who will make us prosper! And for that, he gave us a spirit of power and daring to do the work. Isaiah 2: 2-3 reminds us that all nations will flow to Jerusalem; while Psalm 122 asks us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and then promises the nations who hold this call: "They will prosper the one who loves you (Jerusalem). This call to pray for the peace of Jerusalem is therefore a redemptive appeal addressed to more than 2 billion Christians in the world and to the 70 spiritual nations. Distinguished participants representing the 65 nations here, thank Robert, Michele and Albert for this incredible opportunity to be blessed!

10. In Ghana, 70% of the 30 million inhabitants are Christians. and we commit to doing the will of God in Christ and placing God, like all other religions, at the center of our efforts to build our nation. To give concrete expression to this, our president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has initiated the construction of a national cathedral inspired by the Tabernacle and aimed at providing the necessary infrastructure to focus the nation's eyes and from Africa on the Almighty. and therefore the peace of Jerusalem! Israel and the JPBM nations should join us in transforming Ghana, this first independent African nation, and the first to hold a prayer breakfast in Jerusalem, Africa, to build the National Cathedral as a living monument to mobilize Africa for all eternity. and pray for the peace of Jerusalem

11. As we join with you and the representatives of the nations to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we also pray that the peace of God, which surpbades all understanding, keep all our hearts and all your thoughts in Jesus Christ. We look forward to a new era of renewed cooperation between Israel, Ghana and Africa, and we do so with the offer of friendship that Golda Meir has demanded.

12. My friends, God is doing something new and his name is praised! May his Spirit cover this land and let us all be gathered here! May Jerusalem triumph in peace and fullness!

SHALOM

Thank you for this privilege and thank you for welcoming us.