For Lebanese followers of Christ, the call to peacemaking is not just a moral ideal and an expression of our love for God, but also a necessity for the survival of a diverse nation.
'The Yellow House' ('La Maison Jaune') was the demarcation line between East and West Beirut during the civil war and changed hands between military factions often. / Photo: [link]Tim Broadbent[/link], Unsplash, CC0.
Lebanon, a country that has long been a crossroads of civilizations and faiths, has experienced cycles of war and conflict, shaping its modern history.
Many people like me have endured the civil war (1975-1990), yearly assassinations and car bombs, the 2006 war, and ongoing blows since 2019 (the collapse of the Lebanese economy, the coronavirus pandemic, the August 2020 Beirut port blast, and the current situation).
These events stir memories of displacement, loss, traumas, and a quest for survival in a land often engulfed by regional and international tensions.
[destacate] Although the gospel might not address particular conflicts directly, it does address the root of all evil: man’s pride [/destacate] Will we ever be able to experience peace, especially in a world where polarization, sectarianism, and radicalization are ripping the fabrics of societies, and where coexistence is repeatedly challenged by internal divisions, political instability, and larger geopolitical forces pulling at Lebanon from every side?
In the face of enduring violence, can Christians in Lebanon—and elsewhere—still believe in peace?
Amidst such conflicts, Christian core beliefs about peace, forgiveness, and hope are challenged. However, it is this challenge that pushes us to seek light in times of darkness.
It is this sharp contrast between the world’s ways and Christ’s way that makes all the difference. The Christian faith offers multiple spiritual frameworks for addressing conflicts.
Think, for example, of the gospel’s central message of reconciliation, the call to love our neighbor, and the honored role of peacemakers in the Beatitudes. Although the gospel might not address particular conflicts directly, it does address the root of all evil: man’s pride. I believe the opposite of love is not hate, but pride.
Furthermore, for Lebanese followers of Christ, the call to peacemaking is not just a moral ideal and an expression of our love for God, but also a necessity for the survival of a diverse nation.
Whether or not we can still believe in peace is a live question in Lebanon. The answer, from a Lebanese Christian perspective, is complex, and requires our endurance, but is ultimately hopeful.
The path to peace, as articulated by many Christian thinkers, is not simply the absence of conflict but the presence of justice, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
However, when all prerequisites for peace are demolished, and instead violence, division, lawlessness, and injustice seem to have their way, the heart becomes the final frontier.
If the heart itself becomes submissive to fear, Christians can be crippled in facing evil.
The Apostle Paul often spoke of a peace that transcends understanding, rooted in a relationship with Christ. In Philippians 4:7 he writes, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.
Peace here involves not necessarily the absence of conflict but rather a deep trust in God, reconciliation with God and self, and a sense of purpose that comes from God. Receiving direction and purpose from God in times of chaos is key for survival and for finding the energy to wake up every day to face fresh darkness.
A well-known model of human flourishing – Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – states that basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and safety must generally be met before a person can consider loftier pursuits in life.
A life obedient to Christ, however, miraculously flips the pyramid of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs on its head.
[destacate] Peace involves not necessarily the absence of conflict but rather a deep trust in God, reconciliation with God and self, and a sense of purpose that comes from God [/destacate]Rather than getting our basic needs met first, and only then considering the higher purposes of life, the Christian life instead becomes: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt 6:33).
We are asked to first guard our hearts and minds through:
- Thought management: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor 10:5).
Thoughts do not ask our permission to pop up in our heads. However, we can take time in prayer and solitude to sort our thoughts and manage them to honor Christ. We must reshape our thinking to be aligned with His thoughts, including in our relationships with one another (Phil 2:5).
- Heart management: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23). We pray with David daily, “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name” (Ps 86:11) – and only your name.
When we become fearful, anxious, angry, or hateful – perhaps understandably so because of the dangerous situations around us – we first seek God’s wisdom: “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy … Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:17-18).
Seeking to understand and live by God’s word enables us to walk in the Spirit and not be driven by the flesh (our own motives, desires, and feelings).
Guarding our hearts and minds are key first steps toward sowing peace while walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
Many people exercise “power over” others, and some use “power with” others, but truly transformative power is the “power within” (the Holy Spirit), which transforms us – and, in turn, situations, and the hearts of others.
In a country where power is divided along religious lines, and political leaders sometimes manipulate sectarian fears for personal gain and fostering division, trust becomes a rare commodity between communities of different religious and cultural backgrounds.
Our power and identity as disciples of Christ lies in love. Love is our weapon for the destruction of barriers and strongholds, hate and division, fear and lies.
[destacate] Love is building trust between different factions and parties. Love is bringing hope back to mankind. If we keep sowing seeds of love, this will impact Lebanon’s future [/destacate]Love heals; love rebuilds trust. Jesus says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good.” (Matt 5:44-45).
Today, as people from the south of Lebanon, Bekaa Valley and Beirut’s southern suburbs of Dahiya migrate to safer areas of Lebanon, the Holy Spirit is guiding the Church to show and bring love to everyone regardless of their ethnic or religious background.
While many church members are themselves traumatized from earlier encounters when their hearts were filled with anger, fear, and hatred, love has found its way again by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Love is building trust between different factions and parties. Love is also restoring the image of God in many and bringing hope back to mankind. If we keep sowing seeds of love through our initiatives, this will impact Lebanon’s future.
Churches across Lebanon have been central to humanitarian efforts, offering hospitality, aid, and solidarity to all communities, regardless of religion. At ABTS, we have taken in around 200 individuals so far.
Many of these individuals are wondering why they were received with loving arms. We pray that in love we may provide for them holistically, while along the way breaking barriers of pride and division (mainly in ourselves).
Another important initiative for Christians to take in times of war is calling for repentance. 2 Chronicles 7:14-16 states: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
We as Christians need to repent, acknowledging past wrongs and seeking collective healing. Not until we ourselves confess our wrongdoings can we call others to repent and find favor with God.
In the Old Testament, confession and repentance are mostly done as a people and not just individually.
I believe we as a church need to confess our heart dispositions and pride in several areas of our attitude toward the “other”. Such transparency has spiritual power and will increase our credibility as well.
Faith, for many Lebanese Christians, remains a source of strength in the face of uncertainty. The crucifixion and resurrection of Christ are seen as the ultimate testimony that suffering and death are not the end. There is hope, even when peace seems elusive.
[destacate] Ultimately, the Christian belief in peace is not contingent on the absence of war. It is grounded in the conviction that peace, as Christ envisioned it, is a path of sacrifice, love, and relentless hope [/destacate]Peace in Lebanon will not come easily, nor will it come quickly. But from a Christian perspective, peace is always possible because it is rooted in the divine promise of redemption and renewal.
Ultimately, the Christian belief in peace is not contingent on the absence of war. It is grounded in the conviction that peace, as Christ envisioned it, is a path of sacrifice, love, and relentless hope.
And for Lebanese Christians, that hope is what sustains them, even in the darkest times.
As Christians, we are called to guard our hearts, and in that spirit to embody Christ in our lives and communities, trusting that our efforts, however small, are part of God’s greater plan for reconciliation and peace.
Bassem Melki is the director of the Non-Formal Training and Peacemaking Department at ABTS.
This article was first published on the blog of the ABTS and was re-published with permission.
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