WHAT IS HOPE? – Lessons from Syria
Romans 8:24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
On 17 June 202 Syria was dealt an economic blow as the USA enforced the toughest U.S. sanctions yet. The new law, Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, prevents anyone around the world from doing business with Syrian officials or state institutions or from participating in the war-ravaged country’s reconstruction. This applies to missions, humanitarian work, relief work, medical assistance, and any other form of development. Analysts say the new sanctions will be a heavy blow to a country where, according to the United Nations, eight out of 10 people make less than $100 a month. The Syrian government called the sanctions “economic terrorism.” The Syrian pound has plunged 70% since April, almost in tandem with the economic woes of neighbouring Lebanon. Prices of essential goods are now beyond the reach of many. (https://www.incontextinternational.org/2020/06/17/new-u-s-sanctions-threaten-to-devastate-syrias-beleaguered-economy/)
Upon hearing the devastating news, I immediately connected with Christian leaders in Syria to hear their perspectives. “God is almighty and can change everything to good. We have HOPE!” was the general response.
We have hope!
If hope lies in the unseen (Romans 8:24) then we who see, and always seek, demand and question the existence of faith, have much to learn about hope from those who live in the unseen. We have so much to learn from the Church in Syria. And instead of providing a whole devotion on HOPE, I would like to post one or two pictures of people who were able to look beyond the horizon and see something that everybody else missed. This is hope!
THE UNSEEN FUTURE
In Homs, Syria, where entire city blocks have been reduced to rubble by years of civil war, a Syrian wedding photographer thought of using the destruction of the city as a backdrop for pictures of newlywed couples “to show that life is stronger than death,” according to AFP photographer Joseph Eid. Here, Nada Merhi, 18, and her husband, Syrian army soldier Hassan Youssef, 27, pose for a series of wedding pictures amid heavily damaged buildings in Homs on February 5, 2016. (https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2016/02/newlyweds-in-the-ruins-a-syrian-wedding-photo-shoot/460440/)
THE UNSEEN JOY
Elmo and the gang are headed back to Syria, and this time they brought new Muppet pals. The MacArthur Foundation awarded a $100 million grant to International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Sesame Workshop. The grant will fund a three-tier plan to aid child refugees in the Syrian response region, comprising Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria itself. (https://www.newsweek.com/sesame-street-syria-muppets-755899)
THE UNSEEN SOUNDS
And there are the unseen sounds of daily life built on hope, not on circumstances. Finding the beauty in the unseen and hope in the expectations of faith.
This is hope! Thank you Syria for seeking the unseen and teaching us that, in a season of despair, there is a future, there is joy and there are sounds to listen to that points to a better future!