Bringing Light into Darkness

As Christmas rapidly approaches, much of Beirut still lies in ruins after the devastating explosion in the port this August. In response to this disaster, Aid to the Church in Need has pledged €5 million to help the Church in Beirut to rebuild.

By ACN Staff

A man prays for the intercession of St. Charbel. This 19th century monk is the best known modern saint of the Maronite Church in Lebanon. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

“It was worse than a war because it happened so suddenly. All the hard work of years was destroyed in just seven seconds”. These are the words of one woman describing the devastation to the Christian quarter in Beirut. She went on to describe the August explosion as “our Hiroshima”. As we fast approach Christmas, Beirut would normally be one of the Middle Eastern cities most taken over the excitement and joy of the celebration of Christ’s birth. There will still be celebrations and thanksgiving this Christmas in the Lebanese capital, but there is a felt trauma from the August explosion.

Father Raymond Abdo. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

Christianity runs deep in Lebanon. This deep tie is connected to Christmas, in which we celebrate Christ’s birth. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) spoke with the provincial of the discalced Carmelite Fathers in Lebanon, Fr Raymond Abdo, about the importance of Lebanon in Christianity. Fr Abdo explains: “Lebanese Christian origins date back to the time of Jesus Christ…Lebanon is Holy Land, because Jesus walked in Lebanon…Lebanon is Christian on account of its roots in Jesus Christ.” The Wedding at Cana for example took place in Lebanon. Lebanese Christians are rightfully proud and grateful of Lebanon’s Biblical connections. In the same interview Fr. Abdo further elaborated that Lebanon is mentioned 72 times in the Bible.

The symbol that is most associated with Lebanon is the cedar tree. The cedar tree even appears on Lebanon’s flag. Fr Abdo gives explanation to the significant choice of the tree: “The Cedars of Lebanon were the trees used by Solomon to build the temple of God, since Cedar wood has a perfume that is similar to incense. It is a tree that can live for up to 2000 years, and thus it is a symbol of eternity. That is why Lebanon chose its cedar tree as the symbol of its enduring existence.”

The cedar tree on the Lebanese flag. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

This endurance can be seen in Lebanon’s Christians, particularly in the Maronites, the largest Christian group in Lebanon. The Maronites originated in Syria during the fourth and fifth centuries after Christ, but subsequently moved into Lebanon in order to escape religious persecution. The Maronites have throughout their history been in Full Communion with the Pope.

Damage done to Saint Saviour’s Church Beirut. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

Father Nicolas Riachy. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

Lebanese Christians have endured many torments and the Christians of Beirut will no doubt rise to meet the current struggles. However, as part of the Body of Christ, it is important that we aid our Christian brothers and sisters during their time of need. For example, certain Christian parts of Beirut are at risk of losing much of their residents because of the damage from the explosion. There is also infrastructure damage that has been done to church buildings. A good example of this is the Melkite Catholic Saint Saviour’s Church. This church was originally constructed in 1890 and stands rights at the entrance to the Christian quarter of Beirut. The roof of the church was destroyed during the explosion.

The parish priest of Saint Saviour’s, Fr. Nicolas Riachy, took time out from supervising the clean-up of the church to explain to ACN the importance of the church to the local area: “Our mission is to bring light into the darkness through which we are living. There is no Christianity without the Cross. Christ is our example. It is not easy to be Christians, but many of our people are still very much aware that this land is Holy Land and we cannot abandon it.” Given the importance of parish churches, such as Saint Saviour’s, ACN has put together an aid package of €5 million to help the Lebanese Church rebuild in Beirut. Saint Saviour’s is included in this reconstruction project.  As we approach Advent and Christmas, we would ask all of our supporters and benefactors to keep Lebanon in their prayers and to consider donating to ACN if you would like to help Christians in countries like Lebanon. Let us reflect on these words from Sacred Scripture and pray that persecuted Christians around the world find comfort this Christmas: “What has come into being in Him was life and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5)