July 21, 2022

Can Bad Pizza Survive in a Shame-Based Culture? What About Us?

by Bassem Melki In 2010, Domino’s Pizza, one of the biggest food chains in the world, had a problem. Although they had the speediest delivery service, the pizza quality was so bad that Domino’s CEO Patrick Doyle said, “we had somehow created a situation where people liked our pizza less […]
January 20, 2022

Divinating Off Course

By Bassem Melki You might have read this title and wondered if there is really something called “divinating”. Keep reading! Every New Year’s Eve it is common for Lebanese TV stations to feature programs involving certain individuals with the “gift” of foreseeing the future. They excite viewers with predictions about […]
July 29, 2021

Moving Away from Faithless, Self-Centered Prayers: Towards the ‘True Disciple’s Prayer’

By Bassem Melki “My Father, hallowed be my name, my kingdom come, my will be done, hopefully also in heaven as it is on earth. Give me today and everyday what I am entitled to. Help my debtors repay me their debts as I have repaid You my debts (if […]
March 18, 2021

Are “Democratic” Societies Learning Too Much from the Lebanese?

By Bassem Melki These days we are seeing people in “democratic” societies choosing to follow leaders who represent their own personal interests rather than leaders who identify with a country’s wider identity. People must ask themselves again if they will look for leaders who fit the values representing their communities […]