Thoughts from Lebanon by David Bloomfield of Tear Fund
Earlier this year, I had the privilege of visiting Lebanon to visit the wonderful work of our partner Heart for Lebanon. It’s my second visit and each time God has spoken significantly to me.
On the second day of this recent trip we were travelling from Beirut to the Bekaa valley, to meet with the refugee families living in the camps. We were being driven by one of the founding members of Heart for Lebanon, Daoud Arnuout, who showed his servant heart by driving us for the day. Our vehicle was filled with a wonderful team of enthusiastic and vocal folk from Above Bar Church, Southampton, who asked a mass of questions to Daoud. He was good enough to give a history lesson of Lebanon over the past years as we travelled. We frantically took notes in an attempt to keep up with the complicated story of his country.
The question of the previous war between Syria and Lebanon and the issue of forgiveness came up. ‘How are you able to forgive those who once bore arms against you’? His answer will stay with me forever.
Firstly, he said, ‘don’t forget that we have much to forgive’ – and he told us of the experience of loss for the people of Lebanon and to his own family, to property and livelihood, to neighbourhood life and the violence which took place. It took me to appreciate a different level of forgiveness.
He then told us that he knew that God required them to forgive. That when they dug deep into their hearts they found the Grace of God available to them to forgive. As they began to make that choice and exercise forgiveness, and to reach out to the refugee families, God gave them fresh grace each day to minister and offer His unconditional love. As they did so, and came face to face with the acute needs, forgiveness became irresistible for them.
That evening, back in Beirut, we looked at scripture – from Romans 12. It’s a challenging scripture. ‘But if your enemy is hungry feed him. And if he is thirsty, give him a drink’.
It’s exactly what the Heart for Lebanon were doing – offering the unconditional love of God to their former enemies – ‘Freely we have received, freely we offer this love to you ‘
The chapter ends with ‘do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good’. Again it’s what these good folk were doing.
It highlighted also how truly effective the work is since it is done by local Lebanese people. They understood what the refugees had come through. They knew war, knew loss of life in their families, loss of homes and livelihood, knew the uncertainty of arrest and capture. They have understanding as they have been there, and the Syrian families know it.
It reminded me also our Lord Jesus, who Hebrews describes as our high priest with understanding, one who has known what it is like to suffer loss, since He has also been there. He understands. He overcame evil with good, it’s what he did because of who he is.
It’s what the people of Heart for Lebanon do every day. And at Tearfund, we do our utmost to ‘follow Jesus where the need is greatest’, it’s what we do. It’s who we are.
In our partnership together, it’s what we do, it’s who we are.
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King