THE ROSE OF SYRIA: A time to strengthen the local Church
Matthew 25:34 – 36. Then the King will say to the people on his right, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father! Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the creation of the world. I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.’
Whenever a sense of anguish overwhelms me and I am at a loss of words to express it, I find comfort in knowing that the same burden lies in the heart of Christ as well, the Father of all compassion and the God of comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3)
I find myself in such a time
On Sunday, 8 December 2024, after a lightning 10-day offensive, rebel forces in Syria captured its capital, Damascus, and toppled the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The rebel military operations command for the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, claimed on Sunday the president was no longer in the capital, writing: “We declare the city of Damascus free of the tyrant Bashar al-Assad.”
HTS, and its 42-year-old leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani, have been designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN Security Council, and a coalition of foreign mercenaries. It’s a fundamental movement lead by a person with a bounty on his head of more than US$10 million.
Sadly, in the euphoric celebration of the removal of Mr.Bashar Al Asaad as president of Syria, few media sources considered the plight of the minorities, especially that of the Christian minority. In his first interview in 2014, Rebel leader Mohammad al-Golani told Al-Jazeera that his goal was to see Syria ruled under Islamic law and made clear that there was no room for the country’s Alawite, Shiite, Druze and Christian minorities.
There is no doubt that Christians face a new season of darkness.
Adding to the immediate uncertainty and hardship was an air-raid by Israel. On Tuesday 10 December Israel struck Syria 480 times and seized territory as Netanyahu pledged to change the face of the Middle East.
One of our partners in Damascus wrote the following:
We are living through some of the hardest days we’ve experienced since the war began in 2011, up until now in 2024. Israel is striking Damascus, its surroundings, and all of Syria. At this moment, we can still hear the sounds of the strikes; the house shakes from the impact. Yesterday, they claimed to have hit the chemical factory and the scientific research center. We can smell gunpowder and chemicals everywhere.
Additionally, they have placed a Salafi prime minister in power, someone from the Al-Qaeda organization, which itself is connected to ISIS. He comes from a region in Syria called Idlib, which is known for being deeply religious and the most fanatically Islamic area. This person is part of the extremist Islamic groups in Damascus.
What is the future of Syria and the Christians in Syria? Pray for us; we are in desperate need of prayers.
Syria, oh Syria, has God forsaken you? 14 Years of destruction, death, famine, hardship and now, just when there was a glimmer of hope, renewed fears of oppression and persecution. Has God forgotten His bride in beautiful Syria?
The answer lies in Matthew 25:34- A call by Christ for the Church to be an extension of His anguish. And make no mistake, Matthew 25 provides a glimpse into Syria and describes the people of this troubled nation “To a T”.
IF YOU DESIRE TO FEED THE HUNGRY, SYRIA presents an empty storehouse, waiting to be filled by brothers and sisters who are willing to respond with love and care.
After 14 years of war, Syria is suffering from the highest humanitarian needs in its recent history. It is the sixth most food-insecure country in the world, and 16.7 million Syrians depend on humanitarian assistance to survive. In addition to the protracted conflict, Syria faces multiple crises: displacement, droughts, cholera and other disease outbreaks, and natural disasters such as last year’s devastating earthquake.
“The current situation is extremely difficult; 90% of the population lives in poverty with no signs of improvement in sight. It is essential to continue saving lives, but it is also crucial to invest in recovery so that the most vulnerable people can rebuild their lives in dignity,” says Darius Zietek, Action Against Hunger’s Country Director for Syria.
The Church in Syria is willing to respond to this need. On Saturday, we received an urgent call from one of our partners in Damascus: “This is our time to show the love of Christ. Help us, please help us.”
IF YOU DESIRE TO COMFORT THOSE THAT WEEP, SYRIA will welcome hearts of anguish. Since the Syrian civil war officially began on 15 March 2011, families have suffered under brutal conflict that has killed an estimated 580,000 people. Based on Syria’s pre-war population of 20.8 million from 2011, this represented approximately 2% of Syria’s pre-war population.
Now in its 14th year, the Syrian refugee crisis is the largest refugee and displacement crisis of our time. The United Nations (UN) identified 13.5 million (2016) as displaced persons, requiring humanitarian assistance. This represents more than 60% of the pre-war population of 22 million. Add to these numbers the recent fighting in IDLIB where well over 900,000 people have been displaced since December 2019.
But not only have the Syrian people endured the injustice of a brutal 14-year war, but also the health challenges of Covid-19 and the new economic pressure of US sanctions.
BUT, the church in Syria does not need our sympathy, they need our solidarity!
IF YOU DESIRE TO ENCOURAGE THE DISHEARTED, SYRIA opens her heart to prayer like no other nation on earth today. During one of our previous visits to Syria we travelled through more than 70 military checkpoints from the Lebanese border up to Aleppo. At one of the stops outside Aleppo one of the soldiers approached our driver (one of the local Church leaders) and as he looked into the car and saw that we were Christians, he immediately asked for prayer. Our host prayed for him and just as we pulled away, the soldier abruptly stopped the car again and simply said: “One more prayer, please”
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 Syrians
IF YOU DESIRE TO SUPPORT THAT PART OF THE BODY THAT SUFFERS THE PRESSURES OF PERSECUTION, WAR AND FAMINE, SYRIA calls the global church to unified action – strengthen that which remains and is at the point of death (Revelation 2:10)
We had the joy of visiting Rev.Ibrahim, the head of the Presbyterian Church in Aleppo. Rev.Ibrahim explained that even though the Christian population has decreased by more than 90% in Aleppo due to the war, their Church has
increased from 60 people to 200 people who attend their services – of which only 10 are Presbyterian. He then explained it as follows: “If Syria is a garden of flowers, then the church is the rose. The fragrance of which is reaching even those in government.”
BUT MOST OF ALL, IF YOU DESIRE TO INVEST IN THE KINGDOM, SYRIA offers a harvest of souls. Many Syrians who have lost hope during the war have are finding hope in Christ. There is a harvest of souls that is unprecedent in the Middle East and God is calling His church to share in the harvest.
During our visit to Syria we were deeply inspired by the Christians we met. During a decade of war, we discovered an indestructible, infectious, and influential Church. The one pastor, living in the heat of the warzone, explained to us that they first prayed fervently that the war would stop. “But,” she concluded “today we pray that the Lord will fulfil his purposes through us and that the Lord will use us as His servants in the midst of the war.
The one young Syrian girl told us: “I have lost everything during the war. But if it wasn’t for the war, I would never have known Jesus. And now that I know Jesus, I have all I need”
This is a season not to be missed and it is not only our duty but our delight and privilege to partner with local believers in their endeavours to be light and salt in a very very dark time. The words of Christ to “behold the harvest (Luke 2:10) and become fellow labourers in a season of harvest is not a COMISSION, it is a CO-MISSION, an invitation to be a partner in what He is doing
But the harvest does not wait for the harvesters to enter. There is a time constraint that needs to be observed. It is now or never. In this regard, the added sanctions from the West will severely impact the activities of the local Church in a negative way.
Dia-LOGOS has been in touch with our partners in Syria and most of the support from outside Syria is starting to dry up. The Church in Syria weeps – not because they are suffering but because they cannot continue to be a source of life within their communities. A Pastor from Damascus recently said, “Lately, in these last weeks, we began to see in the streets homeless children searching for food, this thing wasn’t before in our country even in wartime since in the previous years”.
Would you prayerfully consider being involved in one of the following ways?
BEING A VOICE: We need friends who will ‘champion’ this project and who will be willing to be a spokesperson on behalf of Syrian believers. If every friend can tell two other friends about the project, then we can have a far greater impact in the lives of those who receive, as well as the lives of those who give.
MAKING A CONTRIBUTION: We need FUNDS – as much as possible. We want to plant as many seeds as possible on your behalf. This is a unique opportunity for the Church in Syria to impact the region with the Gospel. It is now or never. The soil is ready, and the labourers are there but the seed bags are empty.
OFFERING PRAYERS: This is the Lord’s work, not ours. There is a battle raging for souls, and we cannot do it without your prayers. Thank you that we can count on you.
If you’re moved to help, please click on the link below to join us in supporting the Syrian Church as they serve their communities during this time of crisis.