March 25, 2021

Heavy Toll of Sanctions on Syria Raises Questions of Morality and Justice

Wissam al-Saliby If a man is hungry and comes to the church for food, should the church push him away if he is on the United States sanctions list? This delicate question is haunting many Christian ministries in Lebanon and Syria today. Amid conflict, economic crisis, and mass displacement, Middle […]
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 […]
March 11, 2021

Rethinking Christian Mission Witness in the Middle East

By Mike Kuhn That strikethrough of the word “mission” in the title is intentional. I imagine that for most readers of this blog the word “mission” evokes positive connotations of self-sacrificial giving and heroic exploits of missionaries of a by-gone era. Early Protestant missionaries to the Middle East established schools, […]
March 4, 2021

I Can

By Smyrna Khalaf Moughabghab “I can’t take it any longer.” “I’m bored of everything.” “I’ve been like this for one year.” I know many have heard these sentences or have said them or have thought about them in the last months. Recently, my children have been expressing more frequently their […]
February 25, 2021

Darkness Does Not Tolerate the Light of Truth: Reflections on the Savage Murder of Lokman Slim

By Martin Accad “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood it;” but “the darkness will not overcome it.” These words are part of the testimony of John the apostle, in his gospel (1:5), concerning Jesus. Earlier this month (on the 4th of February, which also […]
February 18, 2021

Political Borders in the Middle East: A Thorn in the Missionary Side

By Brent Hamoud The task of global missions in the Middle East must contend with a host of challenges, but perhaps the most prevalent obstacle confronting missionaries is political borders. These manufactured lines cutting land masses into nation-states are more stifling to Great Commission-inspired missionary ministry than we likely realize. […]
February 11, 2021

Traffic, Food Expiration Dates, and Obeying Christ

by Loulwa El Maalouf Have you ever driven in a chaotic country with poor traffic management? Driving in Lebanon requires a new level of focus and spatial awareness. When you sit in the driver’s seat in Lebanon, you must become like a superhero, like Daredevil or Spiderman. Your senses are […]
February 4, 2021

Faith-Based Organizations and Global Political Interests: Sudan as a Case Study

by Emad Botros From time to time, and as we hear in the news, there is global political interest that focuses on a particular country as a result of a crisis, a peace agreement, or some other event of consequence. When this happens, the first questions that come to my […]