Today, we are concluding another season of the IMES Regional Brief, reaching the ninth brief of the current academic year. In reflecting on our topics over the past months, we must conclude that evil has rooted itself in our world. For this reason, the news will continuously broadcast incidents of war, conflict and suffering that results from numerous political, social and economic injustices. The fallen nature of humankind causes us to be driven by greed and personal interest, without caring for those others with whom we share the world. While much has happened within the Middle East and North Africa over the past nine months, this fact has remained constant.

However, we always seek to read the newspaper in one hand and the Bible in another other. We always ask God to speak to our various situations and to inspire us through His Holy Spirit to interpret reality in the light of the Bible and the ethics of His Kingdom. We commit ourselves to do our best to obey the Spirit that drives us towards becoming a prophetic voice within our societies. Our mission is to do what we can to serve God in bringing the Kingdom closer to this broken world, to be channels of reconciliation, justice, love and transformation. In our last Regional Brief of this season, we examine issues facing Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, South Sudan and Algeria, and how the body of Christ within and beyond the region can join hands in fulfilling our mission in the world. As Palestine and Israel await the declaration of a peace plan, referred to as the "Deal of the Century," what is our position as followers of Christ not only in Palestine and Israel but also in neighboring Jordan, which appears also to be a player in this deal? We must all reconsider the definition of peace, remembering that reconciliation and peace do not go far without authentic justice for those suffering from injustice and marginalization. In Lebanon, we look at the issue of the Shebaa Farms. As a church, we must be faithful to that which our Lord calls us and look after the marginalized people of the land and to build our hope on the new heaven and new earth that is in Christ. In South Sudan, we will look at the scene of Pope breaking protocol by kissing the feet of South Sudanese leaders as an example of love, humility and forgiveness and inspiring those leaders to follow the same path in shepherding their people. In Algeria, we explore the situation of society after Bouteflika, the development of Islamic groups in the country and where followers of Christ can dare to love and unite with others amidst religio-cultural diversity, engaging with others, despite real differences, for the purposes of achieving the common good of society.