The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly.  It is a day dedicated to fostering peace through friendship.  World leaders over the centuries recognized that violence and war require “dehumanizing the enemy”.  Through the International Day of Friendship, we hope to promote the establishment of global friendships across countries, cultures, religions, tribes, and geographic regions.  Interpersonal relationship-building requires that we listen to one another, share our own stories, and gradually grow in understanding and empathy for one another.  These personal encounters have the power to change our own hearts and to change the world.

God, we thank you for creating the human family with all its wonderful diversity.  Forgive us for the many times when we have let our differences divide us, sometimes even leading to violence and war.  Help each of us to reach out to those often perceived as “different from ourselves”.  Bring us to these encounters with open hearts, a willingness to listen, and a commitment to understanding and caring.  Help us to realize that we are far more alike than we are different.  Indeed, we are all one!