This year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity carried a special meaning for me. Although I have participated in these gatherings several times in the past—and even had the privilege of hosting one before moving—this was my first time joining the ecumenical service here in Richmond since arriving in BC five years ago. In many ways, it felt like stepping into a familiar room in a new home.

The service took place on the evening of January 22, a quiet winter night that seemed to invite us into prayer. Christians from across the city gathered once again: the Armenian Apostolic Church, the United Church, the Lutheran Church, the Anglican Church, the Presbyterian Church, and the Catholic Church. Each community brought its own beauty, its own way of praying, its own witness to Christ. Standing among them, I felt both the continuity of past years and the freshness of this new chapter in a new place.

What made this year particularly meaningful was the presence of the Mennonite Church. Not only did they join us for the first time, but they also offered to host the service. Their hospitality was gentle and sincere, marked by the simplicity and peace that are so central to their tradition. It was a quiet reminder that unity grows whenever someone opens a door.

One moment that stayed with me was seeing an Anglican priest participate who serves in parishes that sought alternative episcopal oversight more than twenty years ago, after our diocese authorised a liturgy to bless same‑sex unions. His presence was a quiet but meaningful sign of how far we have come. Even with our history of tension and divergence, he stood among us, offering prayer and blessing alongside clergy from across the Christian family. It reminded me that unity is not the absence of disagreement; it is the courage to keep showing up, to keep praying together, and to trust that Christ can hold what we cannot yet resolve.

As clergy from each tradition stepped forward to lead parts of the liturgy, I found myself listening with a renewed sense of gratitude. The Armenian chant, the Lutheran prayers, the Presbyterian proclamation, the Catholic readings, the Mennonite reflection—each voice distinct, yet somehow harmonizing. It struck me again that unity is not about erasing difference. It is about discovering Christ in one another’s gifts.

Being part of this gathering for the first time in Richmond felt like a small but significant milestone in my own journey. I sensed how God has been gently rooting me in this community over the past five years, and how ecumenical friendships are becoming part of that rootedness. Unity, after all, is not an event we attend once a year. It is a way of living, a posture of openness, a willingness to pray alongside those whose traditions differ from our own.

As we ended the service—standing shoulder to shoulder, praying for peace, justice, and reconciliation—I felt a renewed hope for the church in our city. Not because we agree on everything, but because we are learning to walk together. In a world that often rewards division, this simple act of shared prayer felt like a quiet miracle.

My prayer is that this spirit of unity will continue to deepen among us. May we keep opening our doors. May we keep learning from one another. And may our shared witness become a sign of God’s reconciling love for Richmond.