A friend asked me the other day what brought my heart to Lebanon. I've shared this desire with a few close friends over the years, but for a lot of people it's the first time they've heard about it. I normally don't bring up ministry ideas publicly until they're serious front-burner business. Too many people talk and never do. If I'm public about it, then it's not a casual idea.
So for those wondering about the background of my love for Lebanon and the Lebanese people, I'll take some time to spell that out for you.
My first contact with real, live Arabs (not the movie kind) was at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. The Army sent me there for two years to learn the Arabic labguage. During that time I had the opportunity to meet a lot of warm, wonderful Arab people. Among them were Palestinians and Lebanese.
I discovered that they are actually a very kind, friendly people when you get to know them. Like any group, there are bad apples in the barrel, but overall they're very nice people. After that I worked for the Army as an Arabic interpreter.
It was during this period that Lebanon was going through some of the worst times of it's 15-year civil war. You may remember that a number of American and European hostages were taken by the militant and terrorist groups involved in the conflict. My duties as a translator with the Army kept my attention on this tragedy as it unfolded.
"For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, And the devastation of its beasts by which you terrified them, Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, To the town and all its inhabitants."
It's a long, sad story, but I'll provide a brief summary. Groups of militant Palestinians moved into southern Lebanon and took over control of that area. Their attacks on Israel started a chain of invasions and wars involving Israel, Syria, the United States, and a train of other countries.
All of them brought their guns, tanks, airplanes, soldiers, and bombs to Lebanon and fought their wars there. Sides changed so quickly that by the end of it everyone had fought everyone else. It went on for 15 long years -devastating Beirut, killing tens of thousands, turning brother against brother, leaving the countryside in ruins. Militias went through refugee camps on killing sprees. Israeli Jets carpet bombed residential neighborhoods.
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me... to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
The personal accounts of this tragedy, and the complete ruin and devastation broke my heart. My heart is not only for the Lebanese people who suffered during that time, but also for the Palestinians who continue to live in limbo, waiting for the powers of the world to decide their fate. Even when I was godless, the tragedy was so heartbreaking that it has stayed with me ever since. If you know me, then you know that compassion for the suffering is what moves me to action.
I'm amazed that, like the mythical Phoenix, and new and beautiful Lebanon is emerging from the ashes. I want to be there to see the Lord Jesus giving beauty for ashes. As the body of Christ, we need to join his work.
Anyone interested in learning more about the tragedy of Lebanon should read "Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon" an excellent book on the subject by Robert Fisk. The title is drawn from a posthumously published work of the great Lebanese Poet Khalil Gibran entitled "The Garden of the Prophet", from which I will take this final thought:
Pity the nation whose statesman is a fox, whose philosopher is a juggle, and whose art is the art of patching and mimicking.
Pity the nation that welcomes its new ruler with trumpetings, and farewells him with hootings, only to welcome another with trumpetings again.
Pity the nation whose sages are dumb with years and whose strong men are yet in the cradle.
Pity the nation divided into fragments, each fragment deeming itself a nation.
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