FIRST HOSTAGES RELEASED – humanity has finally triumphed… or has it?
Christians gave a prayer of relief as three innocent Israeli hostages, who became collateral damage to political leaders and their quest for power, were given their freedom. To finally see the relief and joy, not only of the families but the whole community, stirred the hearts of every onlooker. Humanity has finally triumphed… or has it?
SYRIA: A voice in the storm
Syria, after more than a decade of war, finds itself undergoing profound political, cultural, and social transformations. These changes will have significant implications for the lives of ordinary Syrians, especially religious minorities such as Christians. This shift is affecting not only daily life but also the broader societal dynamics in the country.
SYRIAN CLERICS VISIT AL-GOLANI: three lessons for 2025
On Tuesday, 31 January 2024, Ahmed al-Sharaa (alias Abu Mohammed al-Golani), advanced his commitment to minority rights by meeting with senior Syrian Christian leaders in Damascus. For the Church in Syria, this moment represents a watershed event; a pivotal turning point that will not only shape the future of faith in Syria but could also serve as a beacon for the entire Middle East. This significant juncture required three key components, which can also serve as valuable reminders to the Western Church as we approach 2025—a year that promises both opportunities and challenges.
GAZA, LEBANON and SYRIA: the darkness of the tomb or the darkness of the womb?
What if the darkness in Syria is the darkness of the womb and not the darkness of the tomb? What if the darkness in Gaza is the birth pains of something so beautiful that only God can comprehend it. What if God, in His sovereign goodness and His desire to seek and save the lost, can use this darkness to birth a nation, to raise a people, and to establish His presence through the beauty of His church. What if this is the darkness of the womb and not the darkness of a tomb?
10 LESSONS FROM SYRIA: when faith is under fire
Observing the church in Syria during one of our recent visits brought a new conviction of how a Church should influence a nation. Not by fighting evil with evil nor by cursing darkness, but simply by living Christ and being light. We encountered many heroes of faith and divine meetings and hereby include TEN LESSONS we learned from the Church in Syria.
THE ROSE OF SYRIA: A time to strengthen the local Church
“If Syria is a garden of flowers, then the church is the rose. The fragrance of which is reaching even those in government.” If you have prayed for Syria before – “one more prayer, please”. If you have given before – “one more time, please.” This is the heart cry of Syrian believers
NO, SYRIA HAS NOT BEEN LIBERATED: a time for courage
No, Syria has not been liberated. Terrorists do not liberate, they enslave. The Syrians need courage, more than ever before. Courage to endure, to persevere and to survive. But the passive bystanders from the outside world also needs courage, but a different kind of courage.
ANOTHER NATION, ANOTHER WAR – Can beauty save our world?
“Beauty will save the world” These words by Russian philosopher, Fyodor Dostoevsky can be easily dismissed as hopelessly naive, considering all that is happening in the world today. But for Dostoevsky “beauty” seemed to transcend aesthetics, and is what inspires the best in us, our aspirations for what is good and true, and what connects us to each other. Sadly, for many Christians, truth has replaced beauty. It is so much easier to demand submission to the teachings of Christ than it is to radiate the beauty of Christ. Judging people is a lot easier than loving them and condemning sinners is a lot easier than forgiving them.
THE DEATH OF COMPASSION – the birth of barbarism
Hannah Arendt once said that the death of human compassion is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism. These are sobering words in a season where the war in Gaza has exposed one major weakness within Western Christianity—the obsession of being right at the expense of being compassionate and kind.
“THESE COLOURS DON’T RUN”: The American elections and a civil war
In her 2022 book, “How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them,” renowned political scientist Barbara F. Walter argues that “we are closer to civil war in the USA than any of us would like to believe”. I beg to differ. I, for one, do not believe there will be a civil war in America. I believe this for FOUR reasons…