Social Responsibilities Commission
Prayers for Peace:
Talking with The Reverend Frida Lemi
On Palm Sunday the Social Responsibilities Commission hosted an event at St George’s Cathedral, to unite in prayer for peace.
The theme for the gathering was the question “Who is my Neighbour?” and reflections were based on the text of Luke 10, the Parable of the “Good Samaritan”. One of those who offered reflection was The Revd Frida Lemi who spoke on Luke 10:29.
Afterward we spoke with Frida about her reflection. Together, we explored why gatherings like this matter more than we might realise, providing a sense of connection and belonging: for non-Christians; for Christians; for our young people; and surprisingly even for priests.
“But wanting to vindicate himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’” (Luke 10:29 NRSVUE)
Jesus does not answer this question directly, and Frida took a similar approach. Instead of answering it outright, she began her reflection by drawing us in through thoughtful storytelling. She explained how both Christians and non-Christians are familiar with the story of the Good Samaritan, and how God is honoured when someone is described in that way.
The man on his way to Jericho, she said, represents the whole of humanity. We too are on a journey, and along the way we are, at times, robbed, deprived, and stripped of what is best in us. The man in the parable is not only an abstract image of humanity, but also someone we might recognise in ourselves or in one another.
Frida reminds us, as a Church, of our vocation to respond. Each of us is “called to be a good neighbour”, with an obligation to show compassion. When we see someone alone, separated from support and in need, we are called to be that Good Samaritan, not questioning our responsibility to the other, but responding with compassion and love.
When asking Frida, why she felt that an event like Prayers for Peace matters to people currently, she explained that these occasions reach across divisions of culture and generation. She spoke about the questions she often hears, particularly from younger people. They want to know what the Church can offer them, and where they can belong.
She sees a generation that is deeply aware of what is happening in the world, with a strong sense of crisis, and therefore a daily source of trauma. At a time when people are concerned about whether there is a future and what their place in it might be, coming together to pray for a common goal becomes important.
It begins to break down the idea that we are defined by our differences and instead draws attention to what we share. As Frida named it, “Everybody is coming together, but we’re all aiming for the one thing - peace everywhere”.
Her encouragement to those who had not attended was simple: come and see.
Frida shared that she was able to reconnect with a friend she had studied with years earlier, something for which she was deeply grateful. They sat together talking long after the formal prayers had ended. In her busy life as a priest to multiple congregations, that sense of fellowship felt nourishing and joyful.
It was a simple moment, but one that stayed.
A reminder of what can happen when we make space for one another, and the quiet joy found in simply being together.