August 3, 2023
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 […]