3. THE UNMISTAKEABLE THEOLOGY – of taking delight
In Lebanon and Syria, this paradox became the trademark of every meeting: believers sing in basements while bombs echo above. Teachers singing praise immediately after speaking of the destruction in their region. Their delight was not a distraction from grief but a defiance of despair. It is the soul’s declaration that God’s beauty still holds sway even when the world breaks. True delight is forged in the furnace—it is the radiant proof that love can bloom in ruins, and that faith, when tested, becomes flame.
FINDING FAITH IN THE CHRISTMAS PARADOX: where life in Syria meets faith in New Zealand
Christmas is the celebration of contradictions. And even though it is filled with profound paradoxes, it reveals deep spiritual truths. There are moments when these paradoxes becomes deeply personal, as we move between worlds so far removed, they seem separated not by borders, but by galaxies. For me, on a personal level, 2025 was the year that stitched these paradoxes together — with visits to Lebanon, Syria and New Zealand, it was a year of contrasts, collisions, and yet quiet acts of coexistence. These paradoxes press upon us three questions.
DELIGHT – the ability to enjoy joy
The virtue of delight is very much like a fireworks display on New Year’s Eve. It’s not only a display, it’s also an announcement and a great attraction.
