Amid a fragile ceasefire, moments of joy and rest
Thimar is bringing joy and rest to war-affected communities in Lebanon this holiday season, hosting Christmas events for over 4,600 children and offering retreats to refresh and equip church leaders.
Thimar is bringing joy and rest to war-affected communities in Lebanon this holiday season, hosting Christmas events for over 4,600 children and offering retreats to refresh and equip church leaders.
Ministry is relational. That is why it can be messy. We are imperfect, and so are those we serve. In this truth is the meaning of Christmas.
Many in Lebanon are enduring sleepless nights, their peace shattered by the relentless roar of Israeli jets and the deafening explosions raining down on Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, the Beqaa, and across South Lebanon. The skies are ablaze as displaced people flood the streets, schools are once again closed, and live images testify to the devastation. What once seemed confined to South Lebanon has now reached Beirut and many parts of the Beqaa.
Throughout the past 50 years, Pastor Maroun has been forced to leave his home in southern Lebanon seven times. The war between Hezbollah and Israel forced him to flee again.
Seventeen families crowded the small school in a village just outside Beirut, their few belongings placed against classroom walls and crammed into corners alongside mattresses. The exhaustion on their faces and black bags under their eyes spoke to the harrowing ordeals each one of them had been through in recent days.
For almost a year, we’ve been asking if there will be a full-scale war in Lebanon. Today, it seems we have gotten much closer to one.
For the past ten months, the Christian village has been caught in the crossfire of an escalating conflict between Hezbollah and Israel… Laudi and Elias lived on the outskirts of Rmeich, making them particularly vulnerable. A few days after fighting began in October, the couple decided to leave.
Fears are growing in Lebanon and the Middle East of a full-scale war between Hezbollah and Israel. But whatever comes, we stand firm in God.
In a challenged nation and uncertain world, it is essential that the next generation be raised with a healthy fear of the Lord.