August 3, 2023

Is Tolerance the Only Deciding Factor?

By Walid Zailaa Contemporary societies seem to have abandoned the idea of a single overarching narrative—one story— that defines their existence. Instead, we rely more today on the concept of “tolerance” to promote peaceful coexistence among diverse individuals and communities. Though tolerance is a positive value, it has become the […]
March 16, 2023

The Function of Meshalim in Re-telling the Story of the Bible

By Walid Zailaa A few weeks ago I, with some of my colleagues at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS), visited some churches and seminaries in Sudan.  The strategy of periodically visiting our students in their contexts has been eye-opening for me. I have realized that most communities not only […]
June 30, 2022

In Memory of Those Who Lost Their Lives in the Beirut Explosion in Vain I Write

By Walid Zailaa This summer August 4, 2022 marks two years since the Beirut explosion, one of the strongest and most devastating blasts in modern history. Hundreds lost their lives in vain; thousands were injured, and countless in the surrounding area were displaced for absolutely no justifiable reason whatsoever. Two […]
January 6, 2022

Though Ashamed of My Country, I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel

By Walid Zailaa “I’m ashamed of my country Lebanon.” This was my first thought in 2022. Born and raised in Lebanon, I always felt proud of being Lebanese, the land of the cedars. I am, nevertheless, feeling these days ashamed of my country. I’m not even willing to describe what […]
September 30, 2021

The Re-Modeling of the 21st Century Church into a Business-Like Enterprise: An Unsettling Trend of Ecclesiology

by Walid Zailaa Two years ago, I was privileged to be invited to serve as a pastor of a local church. In my relatively new capacity, I am always faced with the question of connections, networks, and partnerships (especially with the West) to such a degree that I thought for […]
April 8, 2021

Making a Bad Situation Worse: The Ravi Zacharias Scandal and The Temptation to Whitewash Sin

By Walid Zailaa Recently, many Christian thinkers, pastors, and church leaders have pondered over the shocking allegations of sexual misconduct against the late Ravi Zacharias. To help their congregations absorb the reality of what went wrong with the “great” Ravi, many rushed to either defend, attack, or try by any […]
November 25, 2020

It Is OK for Christians to Love Their Country

By Walid Zailaa Last Sunday, Lebanon commemorated Independence Day. A year has passed without much hope. The one-year-old revolution that did unite for the first time the dreams of the Lebanese people against the corrupted ruling elite is fading away and with it the hope of a true independent Lebanon […]
June 4, 2020

The Power of Stories

By Walid Zailaa Long after I hear sermons, the parts that usually remain most vividly in my mind are the pictures painted through the telling of stories. These tales oftentimes resemble my own personal stories, and through them I have learned lessons, come to decisions, and made significant U-turns in […]