Lebanon: The Church in Recovery after 34-day Conflict

August 14 marked the beginning of the UN-brokered cease-fire in Lebanon, ending a fierce 34-day conflict which cost the lives of 1,287 Lebanese, mostly civilians, one third of whom were children under the age of 12. More than 4,000 people have been left wounded as a result of the hostilities between Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and the South Lebanon-based Hezbollah (‘Party of God’).

Reflecting on recent events, Dr. Kjell Aune, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Middle East region examines how the increased tension in the area impacts the church and its members.

Q: Just a few days after the peace agreement, you went for a short visit to Beirut with your wife, Marianne. What were your initial impressions of the terrain?

A: Safety does not seem to be an issue now, except maybe for some areas close to the Israeli border. In the Hezbollah suburb of Beirut, as well as Southern Lebanon, the physical damage is severe. Whole apartment blocks were razed and many villages are more or less in ruins. While the bombing was more severe in the areas sympathizing with Hezbollah, even moderate Sunni villages and Christian villages in the South were hit, especially in the last few days of the war.

Q: What was your impression of Adventists who endured this anxious period of conflict?

A: The war seemed to bring our people closer together, physically and spiritually. During the conflict they held prayer meetings on the lawn at the Adventist Middle East University. Up to 50 people met for prayer and praise, as well as some social activities to distract their worried minds. Other Christians from the community also joined these meetings, one of them being the local mayor, an alumnus of our university. Even after the war, they have been meeting twice a week for prayer and praise. During the conflict and after, church members have been active in helping their neighbors and others with food and other basic needs.

Q: How has our church, locally and internationally, responded to the immediate needs of the estimated 810,000 internally displaced people (IDPs)?

A: The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) was one of the first international aid organizations to initiate help for the refugees. Our church members volunteered to help ADRA distribute food parcels to 800 families, and this should continue for another month. They experienced some very emotionally moving encounters with the people they helped. Our school at Moseitbeh in West Beirut was the home to 400 IDPs for a month and our other school in Bouchrieh became the logistics center for packing and distribution. ADRA projects under consideration now will provide temporary shelters for the homeless families, distribute flour to households, and provide pumps for rehabilitating the water infrastructure in the South of the country.

Q: Most of the IDPs in Beirut were Shia Muslims from the South, fleeing from the daily aerial bombardment. What did you observe with regard to the interaction between Adventists and Muslims?

A: Muslims expressed their deep respect and appreciation of being treated so lovingly. As mentioned, our school facilities were made available for IDPs, who were all Muslim. Many of these people were children, and we tried to keep them engaged with something positive, like sports and craft activities. We heard touching stories of Christians, including Adventists, helping Muslims with temporary housing, food, hygiene items, emotional support, etc. Our Adventist women identified a specific need and raised money to buy hijabs (head coverings) for their Muslim sisters, who had fled their homes in such a hurry that they had been unable to cover their heads in respect of their religious conventions. So the war, as destructive as it was, has contributed to affirming relationships with our Muslim neighbors in Lebanon. It has also attracted a positive awareness to the Adventist and ADRA names as our teams liaised with Muslim and Christian political and religious leaders.

Q: Did any Adventist buildings sustain some damage as a result of the conflict?

A: No Adventist church property, nor any private Adventist property was damaged during the war. However, our Moseitbeh school, where the IDPs were taking refuge, has sustained some considerable “wear and tear” damage. In fact, $30,000 is needed to put the school facilities back in order, hopefully before the school term begins.

Q: We have two schools and a university in Beirut. Will they open on time and what information do you have about enrollment figures for the 2006/2007 academic year?

A: All of our three institutions of learning will open, but the government has decided that the academic year will start in early October, a couple of weeks later than originally planned. We actually anticipate the enrollment may be higher than normal in both our schools since many parents of displaced children need to look for alternative schools as their own schools are destroyed. Many Muslim students already attend our schools.

Q: At present, Lebanon is still under an indefinite air and sea blockade and an uncertain political future. How will this affect the long-term plans for the Adventist Middle East Church headquarters relocating to Beirut?

A: The building is so close to completion that whatever the future brings, it only makes sense to conclude the project, either for use by the church or for renting out externally. We have voted to revisit the issue of the move at the year-end meetings in early December. In principle the vote still stands that the Union will move, but we need to see how the political situation, the security situation, and some legal issues are resolved.

I will invite the world church to join us in prayer for wisdom and discernment when we discuss the issue in December. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all fellow believers around the world for their interest, encouragement and prayers for Lebanon and the Middle East, especially during this last summer. We urgently need prayer support for this region.