SOPP 2024 at Fuji Sanctuary
The Power of Prayer
Sunday, May 19, 2024, 11:00~13:30 Japan time
The 20th Symphony of Peace Prayers was broadcast online from Fuji Sanctuary in Japan, the global home of the SOPP, on May 19, 2024. This worldwide event once again united people around the world in their deep and sincere wish for peace on earth and harmony among faiths.
People all around the world were invited to take part in the ceremony by tuning in to the live-stream presentation on YouTube and joining in the various prayers for peace.
Watch the recorded broadcast here:
Each year, the SOPP celebrates humanity’s common wish for a world of peace and harmony, through a show of interfaith unity and with shared prayers for peace throughout the world. In recent years, the SOPP has also been the venue for a variety of global initiatives, including the inauguration of the Fuji Declaration (2015), the launch of the Soul of WoMen campaign (2016), and the introduction of the Divine Spark IN (2018).
To mark the 20th annual SOPP, the theme of this year’s event brought the SOPP back to where it began: The Power of Prayer. Co-organizers Yuka, Maki, and Rika Saionji expounded on this theme in the following way:
When we pray, we become one with the vibrations of great nature and with the universal source, and our inherent power becomes manifest. Many people understand this and have experienced it—especially those who have supported the SOPP—and it is for this reason that we are able to hold the SOPP again this year, bringing all of your prayers together. When we offer our sincere prayers, we see that there are no boundaries or differences—no distinctions based on ethnicity, nation, or religion. We realize that human beings, animals, and all of nature are all truly one. The SOPP is a sacred time of connection, made possible by the power of prayer.
The following prayer leaders and guests appeared at this year’s event:
Mr. Haji Syed Salman Chishty (Islam)
The Rev. Canon Dr. Charles P. Gibbs (Christianity)
Mr. Yogesh Mathuria (Hinduism)
Mr. Mark N. Zion (Judaism)
Mr. Masahito Ishikawa (Shintoism)
Rev. Dr. T. Kenjitsu Nakagaki (Buddhism)
As in previous years, we expect that many people around the world also celebrated the SOPP by organizing their own local gathering or private event. Whether you joined in this year’s SOPP via the broadcast or by taking part in a local event, we invite you to send us photos and a brief description of your experience and impressions. Please send these by email to sopp.overseas@gmail.com.