In the mind of a Sam

Even more interesting... From Christianity Today

2006-10-10T11:18:00.000+03:00

(Both articles read on AFC blog)

Lebanon: 'They Know We Are Christians'

Shortly after the recent Israel-Hezbollah war broke out, Riad Kassis, the head of the J. L. Schneller School, a 146-year-old evangelical Christian institution in West Beqaa, Lebanon, wrote an internet commentary appealing to Western readers: "Imagine being forced to suddenly leave your home. Imagine that you do not know when you will return home and are unsure whether you will find a heap of rubble instead of a sweet home."

The subsequent conflict killed 1,300 Lebanese and 160 Israelis, and wounded thousands more. But after missiles and rockets stopped in August, Lebanese Christians realized the bloody conflict had renewed their deep commitment to the displaced. Habib Badr, pastor of the National Evangelical Church and perhaps Lebanon's most recognizable evangelical, told Christianity Today that his church's four schools took in 1,000 refugees. "We hope we were good witnesses of the love of God to those displaced." Dozens of Christian congregations in Lebanon welcomed displaced people and others in Jordan and Syria provided aid.

On the Spiritual Offensive

Lebanese Christians, during and after the conflict, opened their lives in an unprecedented way. Nabil Costa, who heads the Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development, said, "This war was like a wake-up call. It completely changed our agenda and showed us that God has a different vision for us."

"When the war started, at first we complained about our summer vacation," Costa admitted. "As things got more serious, we asked: How could this be happening when Lebanon was finally booming after years of civil war and Syrian domination?"

Costa said that although he and other evangelicals in Lebanon were taught they ought to love everyone, they felt they had been looking mainly after themselves until the massive influx of Shiite refugees caused them to look beyond their own needs."

All of a sudden, we had refugees from different religions in our homes, our schools, and our institutions. Of course, Muslims have always studied in our schools, but this was different. We fed hundreds day and night, set up bathrooms and showers, provided everything from A to Z for them," he explained.

About 1,000 of the displaced were housed in the Beirut Baptist Center near downtown Beirut, while Christian volunteers visited people daily at shelters, including five camps in Mansourieh, near Beirut.

Eli Haddad, provost of the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary, worked alongside Costa in relief operations. He said, "We suddenly found ourselves in the middle of a huge crisis with nothing prepared."

It would have been natural to run or hide. But we were challenged to go on the offensive—not militarily or politically, but spiritually and on humanitarian grounds."

Twice daily, Christians gathered for prayer and worship at the Mansourieh-based Baptist seminary. "We prayed for people by name," Costa said, "and then went out into the different refugee sites to serve those who had to leave everything behind."

Making a Difference—Together

Baptists worked alongside Church of God, Armenian Evangelical, Brethren, Alliance, and Presbyterian leaders to reach as many of the needy as possible. They found that it wasn't easy ministering to desperate people who had lost everything.

The refugees expressed frustration with having to live with 30 to 40 strangers in a single room. "They were stuck with each other, and sometimes they fought," Costa said."

We helped them solve their problems," he added. "We earned credibility. We didn't just bring food and water and say goodbye. We wanted to make a difference in their lives." Besides offering relief, volunteers listened, offered Christian-based entertainment, and provided counseling.

Costa recounted a story involving a Baptist youth minister who met the father of a 17-year-old Shiite youth killed in an Israeli air strike on a southern Beirut suburb. During the burial ceremony, Israeli jets attacked the funeral procession and sent mourners scurrying to safety.

Later, the father asked the youth minister, "Why are Christians helping Muslims?"

The minister shared the story of the Good Samaritan and asked, "Who was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

The father responded, "The one who had mercy on him."

The youth minister then recited the words of Jesus in Matthew 5: "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."

Touched, the father of the deceased boy said, "We have many Christian friends. But we never knew that you have these teachings."

Overcoming Trauma

Seminary provost Haddad said the Holy Spirit also worked on the hardened hearts of some Christians. " We served others that we never thought possible," he said, "people we were brought up to hate."

"We built relationships, and we loved them and learned to trust," he added. "We want this to continue. We plan to keep following up [with] these people."

Christians were also among the suffering. Thirty congregants from a church in the village of Deir Memos, about nine miles north of Israel, sought shelter with the Baptists. One Sunday, displaced villagers of all faiths were invited to join in prayer together. It was the first time they had met in one church and prayed. The village is 80 percent Christian and 20 percent Muslim.

The Schneller School in West Beqaa focused on helping children aged 15 and younger face the trauma of war. They distributed toys and invited them to watch a feature film on a big screen. A psychologist was on hand to help the children address their fears, deal with the stress from the bombardment, and grieve for relatives killed.

Evangelicals, like Youth for Christ Lebanon director John Sagherian, and other volunteers visited refugee centers in Beirut's southern suburbs to play with Shiite kids. "We had the best time on the basketball court with young boys and teenagers. We prayed that our love and smiles would reflect him. They know that we are Christians."

But Kassis and other Lebanese evangelicals expressed concern that their very witness as Christians in the Middle East may be undermined by perceived Western, particularly American, evangelical support of Israel and its military actions against Hezbollah and Hamas.

"We evangelical Christians are working for peace and reconciliation in our land—also for understanding and tolerance. This war has shaken us to pieces. I was shocked to see some of our American brothers and sisters supporting Israel's disproportionate response," Kassis said.

"The father of one of our students, a 10-year-old Shiite girl, was shredded into pieces by a bomb that exploded at a mosque. How can I say to that girl that many evangelicals in the U.S. support what Israel is doing?" he said. "We are in a very hard position because of the killing of so many civilians."

"We support the war on terror, but it seems to be mixed with other things," Kassis said. "These other situations must be addressed separately. This was our problem here."

YFC's Sagherian said the situation in Lebanon and the Middle East is complex. He urged evangelicals in the West to realize that "there is an active evangelical church in the Middle East which needs prayer, understanding, and support."

No Hope Lost

If the conflict has provided any benefit, it has offered Christians a fresh chance to bring about lasting change. Baptist coordinator Costa said overseas Christians provided $130,000 to aid local relief efforts for Lebanon's displaced, while evangelicals in neighboring Jordan nearly matched that amount.

Nabil Shehadeh, who manages the Jordanian Evangelical Committee for Relief and Development, said the aid, which was raised by the Assemblies of God and other evangelical churches, was disbursed among six evangelical churches in Lebanon. "This aid was not meant only for Christians. It helped those displaced from the south, mainly Shiites. We want to minister to all these people," Shehadeh said.

Schneller School director Kassis pledged that Lebanese Christians would carry on their witness despite the difficulties."

The psalmist writes: 'If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?' [Psalm 11:3]. My response to him is: The righteous do not lose hope," Kassis said. "The righteous will rebuild the foundations again. The righteous will work hard to let the displaced feel at home even away from home. The righteous will continue to build a destroyed nation and to uplift the broken souls. We will build the foundations of Lebanon again."

By God's grace we will have, in the near future, a sweet, sweet home for every Lebanese!"

Journalist Dale Gavlak is based in Amman, Jordan.

Interesting... from BPNews.net

2006-10-10T10:52:00.000+03:00

As Beirut’s buildings crumbled, so did barriers to the Gospel

BEIRUT, Lebanon (BP)--Downtown Beirut was the place to be.

In early July, fashion and soccer were the summer’s hot topics as thousands thronged the streets to watch the final matches of World Cup 2006 on large-screen TVs.

Bustling downtown Beirut also was a prime location for Melissa Hunt* and two other college students as they sought to connect with Lebanese students and city residents during an eight-week summer mission trip.

“It was really cool how God put the pieces together,” said Hunt, a member of a St. Louis-area Baptist church. “When I was going through all the job descriptions, this one in the Middle East caught my eye. I put it down as my third choice, because I knew my parents would flip. It took me a few days before I accepted that I just knew that’s where God wanted me to be.”

For five weeks, Hunt and her team had two primary goals: to distribute Bibles in a Beirut neighborhood and to witness to college students in the city.

On the days the team hung out with the fashion-conscious college students at the American University of Beirut, Hunt chose her outfits carefully. Like typical college students, the girls chatted about anything from school to hair and makeup to the many social cliques that existed at the university.

Their reactions to the Gospel included a wide range of what Hunt called “openness.”

“A lot of people were very interested in the Bible,” she said. “Several people ... told us they had been wanting to read the Bible and learn what was in there. Some of the students were totally against religion. But a lot of them would say, ‘It’s really great what you’re telling me, but I just don’t have time for that right now.’”

Hunt said the civil war in Lebanon that ended in 1990s “was pretty much fought between the Muslims and the Christians. To them, religion is political. Whatever [religion] you’re born [into], that’s what you are, and that’s what you die.”

To try to break through that mentality, the team shared the Gospel on campus by using a survey as a conversation springboard. While two students went over the survey, the third member prayed nearby. For one of Hunt’s teammates, Lori Strahan*, those campus witnessing opportunities enabled her to tell Muslim students, who believe Jesus was only a good man, that He wants to be their Savior.

“One girl didn’t know what to believe,” said Strahan, a member of a Baptist church in Kentucky. “When you explain to [Muslims] about Jesus from the verses in the Koran, though, it’s like a light comes on in their head. Later, [the girl] said, ‘Lori, I believe God led you to tell me these things.’”

The team also went door-to-door, offering Bibles to residents in the predominantly Muslim area. These neighborhood visits gave Hunt the opportunity to see Muslims in a new light, particularly after meeting some of the women.

“Before I went, I thought the women who wore the veil [didn’t] have any opportunities to do anything,” she said. “But they’re just like us -– they’re women who love to meet people, love to have friends. They’re ready to hear it; they just need people to tell them the Gospel.”

Although bridges were being built between the Lebanese people and the mission team, those newfound friendships were cut short as the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict broke out in July.

Hunt and Strahan were at the beach in southern Beirut the morning when word came that Israeli soldiers had been kidnapped by Hezbollah militants. By 2 p.m., the beach was cleared. People were calling friends and family. Rumors were spreading that highways were closed and possibly bombed by Israeli jets. The next day, the rebuilt city began to feel the first effects of another war.

“The Lebanese are so used to living during war and having a life during war,” Hunt said. “Especially after the bombings happened, they just went into their war mode. They were like, ‘Yeah, this is war, but this is going to be our lives too. We’re going to live through it.’”

Within 24 hours of the first bombings, three Lebanese college friends had called the team’s cell phones to make sure they were OK. For a few days, they tried to make plans to get together, still thinking that “it’s going to blow over.”

However, the city streets and malls soon were bare and university classes cancelled. As the team hunkered down, first in one apartment and then in another with 20 other Americans, they could see the bombs coming in. During one of these attacks, Hunt’s first thoughts were for her new Muslim friends.

“The second night of the bombing, I was awakened at 3:30 in the morning by the [Islamic] call to prayer,” Hunt recounted. “In the background I could hear these huge bombs going off. I was thinking, ‘Here they are praying, but their prayers aren’t going anywhere.’”

Before the conflict began, taxi drivers and new friends constantly asked the team, “What do you think of Lebanon?” The pride in their city, its beauty and its people was evident. But in just a week’s time, that pride began to crumble.

Some Muslims are reaching toward the Bible for comfort amid the latest round of devastation. And for those displaced to the outskirts of Beirut, many have encountered Christians ready to love them, demonstrating that God can break down longstanding social barriers even in the midst of conflict.

“[T]heir cry is for more stability, for some peace,” Strahan said. “Jesus would offer that peace.”
--30--
*Names changed for security reasons.

Pioneering the Kingdom... Part II

2006-10-03T16:42:00.000+03:00

(Read Pioneering the Kingdom... Part I)

Ok, you might have noticed that i have decided to take a break from the political garbage. I miss brainstorming about something that can actually make a positive difference.

On the socio-spiritual level, a gang of friends of mine and i had the chance to volunteer in a relief mission coming from the evangelical churches in Jordan. I know talking about that might seem wrong in the light of Matthew 6, but i am really not doing it self righteously. I would just like to show that amidst all the chaos in the country, a lot of believers were able to redeem some long lost christian values, in the sight of non christians. Relief missions and financial help have not been exclusive to christian individuals or organizations though; a lot of arab countries and muslim organizations also spent huge amounts of money to help out. However, had the Church failed to be part of that humanitarian scene, i would have truely considered it a tragedy. I thank God for the churches in Jordan and everywhere for their initiatives. I have also been recently contacted by a World Vision member from the states, who informed me they were also preparing something of the sort!! That is really exciting...

Below are a few pictures (that i took with my phone so excuse the quality) of the volunteers helping out in packing and distributing the rations.

Every white bag includes:
200g of sugar
200g of bruised wheat
200g of lentils
200g of chick peas
200g of beans
1 pack of milk powder
1 bag of rice
1 box of luncheon meat
2 boxes of corned beef
4 boxes of processed cheese
1 bag of vermicelli
8 packs of spaghetti
1 box of tea
1 box of biscuits

And with each big white bag comes a box that includes:
a bottle of oil
a bottle of shampoo
a bottle of liquid soap
a bottle of Javel water (or chlorine)
a bottle of disinfectant

And of course, various arabic christian books, tracts and CDs, including the New Testament and More than a Carpenter (translated). We only got to help out for 2 days (these were the only days that we knew these guys were there), each for 5 to 6 hours. Our church got around some 40 rations to give out, but the overall number of rations easily exceeded some 4 or 5 thousand along the 10 days of work, distributed among the different evangelical churches and church groups in Lebanon.
That experience was a huge blessing for all of us!! We all had the feeling that was the right thing to do.
Reports started coming in talking about how christian relief missions already affected people and made them wonder more about "those christians" helping them out. Making them all the more sensitive and willing to listen to the Good News.
Praise God!!!

Another project i started with my good american friend John from AFC (Arabs For Christ) is a regular podcast that will mostly tackle issues about ministry and christian missions in the Middle East and the Arab world. We have already recorded some of the material, and the show will include news and updates about middle east and arab ministries and their situations, some teachings and insights from "insiders" about the technicalities of working with muslims, some testimonies and other various stuff. The podcast should launch sometime in the next couple of weeks, i will keep you updated.

On a more exclusively spiritual level, God has been confirming my idea that this year will carry about a lot of changes in my life. I have been taking more practical steps and decisions to develop my personal relationship with Him. Reading the Bible regularly, praying more often and "beating my body and soul into submission to Christ" (well, i try..)
I used to have the idea that God will somehow adjust Himself to fit my plans, and God has been sending me a new word concerning this topic.

I will stand on my watch
and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look
to see what he will say to me... (Hab 2:1)

There is that special watch where anyone willing to hear the Lord has to stand. I might have done more "ministry" work in the last year than i ever did, but i had no idea that it was possible to do ministry and still be outside the will of God. Ministry, music, events and other christian stuff do not really impress God. Pastor Bob (who i met at the roundtable) said a couple of things that completely changed my perspective on that issue. First thing he said, is that after decades of underground ministry, he started feeling that he wasnt building the Kingdom of God anymore, he was building an empire.
Wow, tough words!! I mean of course, having your christian label, bands, merchandise, etc... can be a huge boost to the ministry, but not on the account of the personal relationship with the Almighty. Not when it's outside of the will of God. And definitely not when it becomes all that matters (i think that can happen easily), when it becomes a matter of competition, when suddenly God is asked to stay back while we carry on the fight.
The other thing that impressed me talking to this man was his answer when i asked him about the way they do worship at Sanctuary services, his founded ministry. Now i have to tell you this: i had heard about Sanctuary, read about it online and regularly visited their website since long ago, and frankly didnt expect to meet the founder at Freakstock Roundtable. Anyways, i always had the impression that a successful "underground ministry" is one that had a loud service, with heavy worship bands and fancy sound systems. I had good intentions!! But i was shocked when Pastor Bob replied that they divided all the church members and split them into house groups... But hey, house churches do not work for subcultures!!! Metalheads, goths, punks, hippies, skaters and even rappers cannot possibly "just" meet in houses to worship God!!! suddenly i sounded stupid; apparently they could.

And it dawned on me: the special thing about the body of Christ, which makes it different from the rest of the world, is John 13:35. Well, the love that the followers of Christ have for each other despite their differences, cultural or subcultural. It is the fact that ideally, a metalhead and a doctor can worship God side by side, no matter the music, their backgrounds or their tastes. Their unity is because of the Kingdom of God!!!

In the same topic, Pastor Bob acknowledged that one mistake they did in the past (so humble, this guy!!! talked about mistakes he did when he could brag about all his accomplishments...) was setting themselves apart from the "mainstream church", that was coming against that emerging christian subcultural movement at the time. Their definition of normality couldn't embrace such new ideologies. The undeniable fact, however, is that all these people belong IN the church of Christ, no matter how intolerant to fresh ideas they may be. And setting ourselves apart from them would be nothing short of ripping Christ's body into shreds. Talk about guilt.. !
All these ideas gave, and are still giving me, a lot to think about.

I also came across this article online, called “Community”?? “House Church”?? NO!! NO!! NO!!!!!. I heavily recommend it. It is probably the best descrpition of Church i have ever seen put into words. Here are some quotes:

“Meetings” where more people get to “participate”—is THAT what Jesus died for?
NO WAY!...[]...Where do we find this God who is not approachable through the five senses, good deeds, proper doctrines or techniques or wording, hard work, or any such thing?

It is not about being a little more relaxed and flexible in having our planned or unplanned meetings, and labeling that as “led by the Spirit.” Just because we don’t know in advance what we’re going to do does not mean that things will then be "Spirit led.” Hardly.

This is not about “house church” or not-house church, “community” or not community, “cell group” or not cell group...or any “meeting” style preference, called or uncalled, rehearsed or unrehearsed. (Although, perhaps a Hearse should be parked outside of every meeting place where the “band” or the “pastor” has to “re-Hearse!” If they must re-hearse their Sunday morning music or “sermon” product in order for the show to work, something is seriously amiss. Surely no one believes Paul practiced sermons, or pre-planned “services”!)

...[]Some will have to watch another thousand teens be seduced by the world and another thousand marriages fail—“doing” church “their way.”

Zoe Life is supernatural. We can’t go back. ZOE together-communion with God must never be fettered by the Ishmael of systems, programs, planned and canned speeches and religion, and hierarchy (Saul, rather than Samuel).
Counterfeits of “home church services” (True Life certainly is squashed by the medieval concept of “church buildings”—but that certainly doesn’t mean there will be Zoe Life by moving the “service” to a living room), “innovative” techniques, and cutesy stuff are not helpful.

Must the Church, or its individuals, then, be perfect? No way. But what IS required, according to the Word of God? Just this: One hundred percent of the members”...“love the Light” and “love the Truth” and have genuinely experienced God Himself in a way that “flesh and blood has not revealed.”

What is a “Christian”? ONLY a person who has abandoned their self and life to Jesus, and have thus been Touched by Heaven and Indwelt by the Creator of the Galaxies is truly saved, and a “member” of His local Church (Rom. 8:9-11; Lk. 9:57-62; Jn. 1:12-13, 3:16-21; 1Jn. 3:8-10, 5:18-20).
This thing called “CHURCH”? It is made up ONLY of those who share this ZOE—and splash around together in the “rivers of alive water” on a daily basis (Acts 2:42-47; 1Cor. 12; Heb. 3:12-14; Gal. 6:2, etc).

...

I would quote a lot more, but i'll leave you the joy of going through this beautifully written article.

There is nothing like being willing to delete old and obsolete data from your head, instead of defending them just because "they have been there for too long i am afraid to miss them".

I will be starting college again this week. I still have doubts about this being the right thing for me to do. The good thing is that i will be studying mass media now. Better than sciences.

Oh well, i guess time will tell... But please try to fit this issue into your prayer schedule, i would really appreciate that!!!

Forever Awaits Me

2006-10-02T22:23:00.000+03:00

Forever awaits me.
I am a child of the wind
I want to sway along
I want to blossom in the early spring dew.
Like a rose of Sharon i will depart
It will carry me to the burning peaks
It will drop me at the frozen heights.
Northern lights will be my guide
I know my eternal destination
No one can stop me now.

The fire blazing in his eyes
The royal crown of hair
The dark is getting darker still
The sun shrinks in shame:
"I am a speck in the universe".
Creation testifies in awe
Trees speak of glory before unseen
Beasts usher in a king
The magnificence of the Lion of Judah.

Knees tremble and bend
Tongues utter in bitter fear
No creature in the land stands up to face
No eye can stand the righteousness.
A bitter taste in the mouth of the fallen
A merciless knife in their stomachs
Guilt tears their members apart
The days of grace will be missed.

The bride in the crimson dress dances with the groom
It celebrates the holiest union.
Heaven and earth declare a sabbath
Angels put down their swords at the feet of the Sire
The ultimate revelation dawns on them
The war is over.

Pieces of flesh regenerate
New blood will run in my veins
Wrinkles crack open and fall
New skin is revealed.
That of a holy creature
Worthy of the presence of a king.

The vows are made
The rings are exchanged
I belong to Christ now
Forever awaits me.

Phase II

2006-09-27T19:20:00.000+03:00

Hello... Anybody still out there?

It's been a while. Sorry. Mostly because i am finally home. Lebanon never looked so good or smelled so fine for me... enough poetry.
I had a lot of catching up to do. I also had no car (i had sold it),no money (well, a bit :D), and no internet connection at home (am setting one up soon though). And getting online hasn't really been a priority.
A lot of what i came back to was unexpected. I wish some things were different, i know others will be. I thank God for everything.

"Lebanon will be back, Lebanon will be back, it will be back, better and greener than before".. An old folk song back from the 80's, flooding lebanese radios amidst the heat of the civil war. A folk song is one that never grows old, universal in time. Every generation of lebanese has and will sing this song, because it talks about the reconstruction of a devastated country. Folk! I never thought it would be trendy again.
Since my coming back i have been trying to assess the situation, especially in terms of feelings and aspirations of the lebanese. It is not easy. It's a mosaic with colors ranging from black to white (with primary colors emphasized). We had been in too deep already before the war, trying to unite the people over common grounds, trying as hard as ever to solve our internal affairs independantly from any foreign intervention (which is a miraculous first timer in Lebanon, as some of you might know). We had been ridden of the syrian occupation for a bit more than a year. I bet it will go down in the history of Lebanon as being the only year that managed to surface over the waves of occupation and dependance.
Anyways, long story short, we're back to what we're used to. Other countries babysitting us, varying from decade to decade, under different excuses (yes, "democracy" IS one of them). The arabs and muslims were promised democracy in Afghanistan. They were promised democracy in Iraq. And now even the word scares the heck out of them. Go figure!! I wonder why they hate western democracy.. Oh! maybe because IT CANNOT, AND SHOULD NOT, BE FORCED!!! Especially not by unilateral decisions.
When will we learn? There's a pattern here... More afghanis and iraqis have died in the past couple of years than in the whole tyrannic reign of taliban and Saddam!! Check the statistics!!! Plus the thousands of western troopers, not to mention the mutual blind hatred that's being bred on both sides. I refuse to believe there was only one option before world leaders when it came to spreading democracy and fighting "terror", which they played and are still playing the bigger part in breeding it!! I remember reading this headline once, that "Osama has won: hatred towards the americans is now universal". As much as i hated the fact, i couldn't disprove it!! Bush and Blair have lost the world's respect and trust... They even have the lowest ratings in their own communities!! Sometimes even when the intentions are right (which is never the case in politics), you do more harm than good trying to fix a situation. And the situation today is at it's worst for everyone, except extremists (who, by the way, are not more extreme in their struggle than some of the western leaders today).

Now i hate to see all of this going on in the world... I thought history classes everywhere taught about the negative repercussions of armed wars of ideologies. "Nothing is more deceitful than the human heart", once said Jeremiah. But who cares what this centuries old guy said, we're in the third millenium now, we know better. Ohhhh, but of course!! We KNOW who to trust today, we KNOW who to vote for, of course, we check their backgrounds, we read their plans and strategies, we hear their speeches, we believe their fairy tales... And everyone is sooo transparent and undeceiving and nice today... That's democracy!! it has made Man a better creature, unlike the "tyrannic" monarchists or communists!! We know what's best for everyone else now, and our trusted leaders WILL make sure that happens, even if it means killing them. It's the dream of humanity come true. Well, time to wake up and smell the coffee (or, as my dear friends at Dunkin' Donuts say: ".. or vice versa"). You HAVE been cheated. Your trust in any other man HAS and WILL always be used and abused. Do NOT be fooled by the sweetness of their words. What you see is NOT what you get. Common... Dig into history!! Watch conpiracy theory or something!! Jeremiah is still right today!!! Well, God is...
Democracy is not sacred, it does not reflect any structure inspired by God (please, think about it..). I am not pulling with any other kind of regime, but i know what i am talking about. Recent events everywhere have disproven the theory that democracy has more value for human life than other types of structures. It just does the same things under a more "civilised" appearance.

I wasn't planning to write about all this, i wanted to talk about lebanon instead. But its funny when i think about it. Lebanon is like a mini sample of the world scene today. With left wing groups and sub groups like extreme pro-west maronite christians, pro-Iran shiite muslims and pro-arabian sunni muslims, to left wing groups like secularized druze socialists or mixed communists... we've got it all!! That's where the mosaic comes from. Of course, as i said earlier, some groups are larger and more influential than others, but over the course of the decades, it has been the alliance of various minorities together that has been at the major twists of events.
In the aftermath of the rebuffed Israeli assault on Lebanon, it is again time to tackle our internal struggles. Much more complicated now though. As in last year's fierce rally of almost half the country against the syrian intervention in Lebanon, it is now time for the other half of the population to oppose western intervention. I was part of the first group last year, ambitiously wanting to witness my country's long lost sovereignty. Today, unfortunately, i theoretically stand with the second group. Hezbollah and their allies, as well as their partisans, refuse the constant intervention of american and european intervention in Lebanon's daily affairs down to the last detail. I really REALLY wished i could blame them, seeing what's going on in neighbouring countries as a direct result of the same kind of intervention, and hearing all this talk about a "new middle east". It gives me the creeps. Of course, i would LOVE to see a different middle east, one that is God-loving and blessed. But so far, we're off for a really bad start and i don't want my country to be part of this.
Back to our internal struggles. Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, gave a speech a couple of days ago at the party's rally "celebrating the victory" of the Hezb. It was freaky. These guys have been talking about how they actually "won" the war all along!! Their logic goes something like that: the israelis failed to achieve their set goals during the war, which were mainly to "disarm and dismantle" Hezbollah. The way I see it: the israelis didn't win the war, neither did we!! It all was like playing a round of basketball where no one scored, but one of the players got beaten up like heck... That was Lebanon. But Nasrallah and the 1/2 million partisans attending the rally had a different opinion. Not only did they humiliate and showed the true capacity of the israeli praised top-of-the-range war machine, but they successfully stood against the tyranny of western democracies supporting Israel. They are right, in a way. But them being right in a few point made them eligible to setting down their own rules in post-war Lebanon. They have gained huge popularity even in sunni arab communities everywhere. Hassan Nasrallah is praised everywhere as being the "redeemer of the dignity and honor" of muslims and Islam. That wasn't the case before the war.

Foreign embassies in Lebanon are running out of Visa and immigration applications. Some of my friends are still outside the country, some of them are making plans to leave, and others wish they could. But of course, a lot stayed wishing to rebuild. It is however sad and shoking to see that a lot of lebanese still blindly go after their leaders who, in the far majority of cases, have been the same since the civil war. It's the same people, ideologies, and actions that ignited the civil war. They are still in power today, and people love them because of that. All that talk about the lebanese wanting to live in peace together seems stupid suddenly. The only way they can come together is by drwaing closer to Christ.
That's a firm conviction of mine.

What's going on in the world today reminds me a lot of the Turtle vs. Rabbit race story. The "democratic" leaders of the world are fast, clumsy, and self- confidently lost, wasting time with a lot of side issues thinking it will win them popularity and footholds in different parts of the world. While extremists everywhere are appearing like victims, gaining more and more popularity and sympathy among the international public opinion, thus moving slowly but safely towards the end of the race.
Easy on the gas, people!! Learn how to think critically, put your seatbelts on! There will be a lot of bumps to come. Figure the best way to pass them smoothly.
You know i like cliches, because most often they're neglected and forgotten: do not believe everything you read and/or hear. It's always idealistically subjective and biased.

Since i started blogging i always wanted to talk about the metal scene in Lebanon and me growing to be part of it. Unfortunately all the other events have been taking over the priority of discussion.

But i promise you, it's coming ;) ...

Who am i to stand with?

2006-09-18T07:12:00.000+03:00

(edited to include links)

Who am i to stand with in this dilemma?

Stuck between western ignorence and islamic radicalism, arab christians find it exceedingly hard to get their message across.

This post will probably raise a lot of emotions (later note: it was written with a lot of emotions), among christians in the west and muslims in the east alike. I am sorry if you fall within any of these categories, but we are a minority (christians in the east), and when you're a minority you never expect a lot of backing up to your thoughts. I really do not mean to be harsh on anyone. I have a lot of friends who are western christians, and even more arab muslims (many of both group are more like brothers to me), and all of these friends know my positions on major issues, and how open i am when to comes to speaking up my mind.

Back to the subject. We have to stand for the cause of Christ without betraying our cultural backgrounds. Unfortunately, western evangelism means westernization of the arab world to most muslims. Frankly, it does look a lot like a trojan package. Is there a way for them to accept Christ while remaining arabs? Can they look at a christian and not see him as being primarily someone who's influenced, or supported, by the west? Can western christians learn from Paul to be "arabs for the arabs" or else stay out of it?

Between the catholic church's clumsy invitation to global "cultural dialogue" and the american administration's "anti-terrorist crusade", Christ has been trying to surface for a while now.
The muslims haven't, and will not, forget mr. Bush's choice of words nor the vatican's unwise statements anytime soon. And going about apologizing for words that "slip out" is a miserably failing attempt to redeem the image of christianity in the muslim world.

The fact is, the remote actions and seemly heroic speeches of such figures of christian political power are only turning the lives of thousands of christians into a living hell. Churches are being destroyed and set on fire, christian families slaughtered, missionaries held hostages, mission work getting more and more complicated... the accounts are numerous.

For those of you now righteously recalling Jesus' sermon on the mount, maybe i need to remind you that Jesus commanded God's blessing upon those who are persecuted FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE (in easier terms, those spreading His word), NOT those persecuted for some stupid meaningless political propaganda.

Time and time again, since the early rebuffed crusades (which are understandably surfacing today in the minds of most muslims), the nominally christian west has been giving more and more reasons and excuses for extremists in the world to react, providing them with their much needed platform to popularize their ideologies. If you honestly wish to root out terrorism, mr. Bush, you'll be hitting yourself in the face (and your father's).

On the other side of the discussion, muslims are only excused because of the ignorance and the spiritual illiteracy that their religion imposes on them. From the lazy, self satisfied and passive royalties of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, to the oppressive left-winged or religiously fundamental regimes of Syria, Iran and Sudan, the arab people are materially and spiritually impoverished, having been reduced to mere puppets in a world of initiatives. Their voice is unheard and their opinions unconsidered.

My honest belief is that what allowed the survival of Islam for 14 centuries have been the use of impermeability and suppression by islamic leaders. Impermeability of their communities by blocking out foreign ideologies and suppression of any local group other than Islam, either by banning or intimidation. The questioning of one's faith is also absolutely forbidden. A muslim has no right of asking any question concerning his faith or his leaders, and has to accept the whole package as being divinely provided (not only inspired), and conform his whole lifestyle to the teachings of the Quran and the Sheikhs. One can see the obvious difference between pre-islamic arab culture, pioneering in medicine, mathematics, physics and other sciences, as well as poetry and arts, and the islamic arabic culture of today, with all the illiteracy and inhibitions.

After the recent speech of pope Benedictus XVI, quoting the Byzantine emperor who said that the islamic Jihad (holy war) is a concept foreign from God, muslims all over the world united in protest. According to most of them, islam is not a violent religion. They would kill someone to prove that point (bad joke).
Remember Saul, christians? He did not approve of the killing of Steven because of a desire to be evil, but he honestly thought he was doing God's will. Remember Steven? He didn't accuse Saul of being a terrorist and rode a tank, but istead got on his knees and prayed in a way that should have been dramatically touching to Saul's heart, and probably softened it enough to hear God's calling.
Believe me people, behind that roughly rugged beard, behind that thick black veil, and behind the religiouly pious and violent attitudes, there exists a heart that truely longs to worhip God. I believe that muslims would be better worshippers than many christians i know.
Of course, that is no generalisation. I do not deny the existence of a fraction that willingly wishes to LEAD such submissing hearts into theological fundamentalism by exploiting their zeal, and this way turn them into what the world sees as "conquering beasts".
My point is that even if Islam is a religion that historically expanded by sword since the first Khalifas (or Caliphs, successors of Mohammad), who even had bloodshed among each other, and even if wars and violence are taught in the Quran, muslims really do it out of ignorance.
And psychology 101 says that you shouldn't mock and punish the kid who screwed up out of ignorance, but instead lovingly explain it to him. That is how Jesus taught too.
What is important for muslims is to understand their history and have a critical mindset when it comes to seeking the truth.

I have to talk about father Zakaria Boutros here. He is one of the most prominent figures today on christian arabic satellite TV. He broadcasts from an unknown location (probably Cyprus or the UK) on a channel called AlHayat (the life). Muslim leaders in Egypt have sentenced him to death, and do their best to counter his teachings, in vain. But oddly enough, he is able to touch the hearts of millions of honest truth-seeking muslims. Why? definitely not because of a sudden conscience wake to the importance of intercultural debate, nor beause of a desire to root out the "evil" embedded in Islam. But because muslims watching his shows feel and know that this guy cares about them. He talks with such compassion and care about his desire to see the arab world receiving Christ's salvation, that people listen to him even when he attacks the core of Islam and debates the authenticity of the Quran. But most of all because he took the time to understand the arab culture and the muslim way of thinking. He knows how to appeal to what concerns them the most. He TOOK HIS TIME to learn all that, to be able to think like them and assess their needs.
All he does is make muslims think. When a muslim starts to think critically, his whole faith system crumbles. Father Boutros is using the internet and satellite TV to break the first barrier to Islam: impermeability.
In a world of globalisation there is doubt that Islam can handle the exposure. It is said that the Bible has been placed under the microscope for centuries, and successfully withstood the test of time. It is now time for other books to be questioned. And father Boutros is doing an awesome job in arab and muslim countries in spreading the Word this way, and accounts from all these countries are reported.
We pray for the safety of this man and the raising up of more people like him.

However, it is known that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. How can that be then? In the implosion of Islam from the center, shattered pieces are spreading throughout the world. The failure of Islam to answer questions such as Father Boutros' has ignited a movement of a more charismatic form Islam throughout western societies, who have themselves been looking for alternatives to what they perceive as old fashioned christianity (especially in Europe).
An extremely dangerous phenomenon, in my sight, is the emergence of the charismatic preachers of this kind of Islam, in the form of arts mainly, the likes of Sami Yusuf. In their successful assessment of the needs of western youth (and even islamic youth) in a globalised world, they have been able to rise even higher than standards set by christians, whether by the setting of their concerts or the message that they share. Their video clips are always aired on prime times and have huge concerts all over the world, promoting this reformed kind of Islam. While christians are more and more epitomizing a culture of exclusivity, close mindness and sometimes hatred and rejection, these muslims are embracing a very christlike culture of joy, peace, acceptance, tolerance and forgiveness!!!
It is unimaginable and unacceptable that these guys are learning from our mistakes, while we refuse to draw the right conclusions.

There IS something awefully wrong with the kind of christianity muslims are being exposed to, and i believe christians WILL be held accountable on that dreadful day.
I know it is a cliche but i truely believe that christians should aspire at becoming more like Christ and less like christians. That is what entitled early believer to be called christians.
Unless anyone feels they have a true calling from God to reach muslims, they should stay aside and keep quiet. Because they would probably do more harm than good. In the other case i recommend anyone who feels called to reaching out to muslims, to spend time learning about the culture, the traditions, values, morals, history, ethics, etc... I am not saying one should know everything, but i believe that the tragedy of today's democracy is a whooole lot of uninformed and misinformed opinions that shape the future of many. Just don't give your opinion when you don't know enough to form one.
I once read that teaching (i think it was a chick tract), that Allah is the devil. I remeber laughing my ass off. As an example of uninformed wannabe-hotshot, that guy did not take the time to learn that in the arabic Bible, God's name is Allah too.
Just imagine convincing an arab muslim that Allah is the devil, then trying to get him to read the Bible :)

I call out to my muslim brothers and sisters as well. Do not to get too excited and zealous when it comes to spiritual debates. Refuse the opium that has been administered to you since your youth saying that you cannot question matters of faith! God gave us conscience and intellect to separate right from wrong, and unless you start using them you will stall there at the same place, with blinded spiritual eyes.
Christ cannot be blamed for the actions of men!! Christians can be wonderful people, but sometimes we might also be incredibely unkind in the ways we think and communicate. I apologize to you all, for being self righteous at times, and looking down on you at others.

Who am i to stand with?

No one. I only side with the church persecuted on the account of irresponsible remote christians.
I stand with the persecuted missionaries crying out to their deafened "christian" leaders to just stay out of it.

Thats the cry of many. Please get informed.

The land of the Phoenix

2006-09-12T19:29:00.000+03:00

"Come, tell me about Lebanon"... Said my uncle, inviting me to leave the dishes (yes, doing the dishes is something you HAVE to do when you work at a grill house).

All my relatives on my mother's side, as well as my family, had fled the country in '83 to Cyprus, at the climax of the civil war. Some of us returned to Lebanon after the events cooled down, but my uncle, aunt and grandma (who is greek but had lived in Lebanon all her life) stayed in Cyprus.
So he settled in this country, got married and started a lebanese family in Cyprus. Ambitious as he is, he made several attempts to start a successful business. You would think that spending 23 years in any country (more time than he had spent in Lebanon) would make you feel like home. But they say that home is where the heart is. I had always wondered about the frustration of the armenians and palestinians in lebanon, now i think i understand. So anyway, the issue of going back some day has been a matter of bitter debate between him and his wife, who is lebanese as well. She loves Lebanon too, but her argument has always been the safety of their 3 children, who have only seen their home country once. SOOOOO here comes the fun part. Until recently we all have been affirming to her with all the confidence that we could muster, that Lebanon has risen from the civil war and is heading towards westernized "democracy" (we laugh at ourselves now), and that it is only a matter of time till issues with Hezbollah and Israel are DIPLOMATICALLY solved for us to be totally safe. In fact a lot of lebanese emigrants who had left their country for 20 years or more went to Lebanon this summer, to celebrate the first summer after the syrian occupation's withdrawal, with their families. Many of them sweared never to go back after the recent events. So you understand our position later on, we learned to keep our mouths shut.

But what do i do when my uncle asks me about Lebanon, and whether i think if it's a good idea if they go back? The lebanese mind is messed up now. I believe you would get 10 different answers asking 10 different persons.

So i am learning not to blame anyone who says they can't understand the lebanese.
I can't understand the lebanese!!!
The hardest part is that i care. It would have been much easier for me if it was some transcontinental country. I envy some of you guys out there.

To be frank, i dont know whats best for my country now. I do not know where it's best interest lies.
Does the american administration really care about democracy in Lebanon?
Do the europeans really care about it's prosperity?
Do the french even care about this tiny francophonic country?
Do the arabs really care about their cause?
Do the iranians care about the wellbeing of the lebanese?
Does the UN care about justice and freedom?
Do the muslims place the people above the religion?
Do the christians care more about vengeance than compassion?
It's like an equation with just too many unknowns...

And on the other side of that equation, all the positive stuff that's going on. I have been increasingly witnessing the incredible sympathy and solidarity of the international community towards the lebanese people. The latest being the honor of an interview with me on the Nick and Josh podcast. Another huge experience were the christians that i met at Freakstock and FlevoFest in Germany and the Netherlands, respectively. A weird phenomenon, however, were the very few christians that claimed the paradox of "we're not supporting war, we're just supporting Israel" that i couldn't grasp. I believe these infectious Rod Parsley style of teachings are causative of a degradation of the christian lifestyle. I rarely see this guy quoting the New Testament. People are getting mixed up with issues of politics and spirituality, and often mixing both. They want to continue the bloody "fight for the promised land".
Did not Paul, Peter and the rest of the early christians have the same scriptures that we do? Can anyone today claim they have a better understanding of these scriptures than these guys? If these sort of teachings are true, why the heck do we never see the apostles raising an arm at anyone then? Why did Jesus, on many occasions, forbid the use of violence? I do not claim i understand all the prophecies in the OT, nor that i can make sense of the larger picture, but i would definitely think more than twice before supporting the killing of innocent over debatable interpretations.
I don't think the way you put it really matters, your support will always end up as being a political, and eventually a financial support to the israeli government.
Most of my chats with "pro israeli" christians ended up with conclusions that by "support Israel" they actually mean "support the evangelism of isreal", that it doesn't really make sense to "pray for the peace of Israel" without praying for the peace of it's neighbours and actually getting the gospel to the whole of the middle east (muslims and jews alike need salvation if you really care), and that YOU SHALL NOT KILL. And by that i hope i made it clear that i am not asking anyone to support Hizbullah, but i do support the evangelism of the muslims.
Christians in the Bible NEVER fought against anyone they considered as a threat, instead risking their very lives to show them the love of Christ. Now THAT'S boldness, kamikaze christians. They're like jackhammers who dig deeper with every life that's lost (and truely believed they would gain it back). Unlike the cowardly bureaucratic "war on terror" that's claiming the lives of dozens of innocents everyday in muslim, arab and middle eastern countries (even among western troops), only fueling more hatred towards christians and Christ, while the political will is comfortably and safely seated in fancy offices, probably feeling like some PC strategy gamers.

Anyway back to the positive side. Most christians i met let me know of their anger and frustration against what's going on. Some are even politically active getting their governments to drop their support (be it financial, political or moral) of the war. I have been really blessed to hear accounts of such people.
And of course, all the protests that went on all around the world to condemn the killing. But most of all, i admire the initiative of a lot of christians who felt compelled to take the risk of coming to the middle east to fulfill the Great Commission.
Thank you all.

Remember my uncle? He is still considering going back to Lebanon, and today is more commited than ever. He advertised his business for sale (the grill house), and as soon as it sells, will go to Lebanon to prepare everything for his family to join him. His wife decided to count on God's protection in this matter and trust that He will keep them safe.

Accounts like that are always uplifting in times where hope seems bleak. The lebanese DNA spells survivors. And i am not saying that out of patriotic pride or nationalism (i lack both), but because i know that is true. I remember seeing this picture in a cypriot newspaper, of lebanese young people clubbing on the same day of cease fire. The israelis were still in nuclear bunkers.

Below is a picture that gives an idea about the amount of damage done in Lebanon. It is the official report of the lebanese government and was developed by a media group called Samidoun. I highly recommend their site, it's updated regularly.

I will be back in Beirut around the 20th. I have decided not to skip this semester. I have an extremely good feeling about what God is about to do this coming year. Dunno why.

Until then, can't wait to go home (i miss my cats).

Q & U (Questions and Unanswered)

2006-09-02T23:24:00.000+03:00

I am still in Cyprus, and i am starting to seriously hate it here. I have been out of Lebanon longer than that before, but never have i felt such an urge to go back.
The israeli blockade has just been lifted up today. Praise God for that!! It's almost like celebrating because you have been given back your RIGHT to breathe. However, the economy has never been more down, and none of the friends and relatives back home recommend i go back now. The rest of my family (my mom, brother and sister) who had been in cyprus all along, too, are thinking about going back this week.

I would go with them, but i still havent figured out what to do next with my life. I started college doing biology, with thoughts about going to med school later on. Then i explored more of the world, found Jesus, and knew this was not what i wanted to the rest of my life. People's etenal spirits mattered more to me than their bodies. Anyway i switched to environmental science, thinking that it required less dedication and that way, i wouldnt lose much of my credits. I was wrong. A scientist is a scientist. And in order to keep up with the competition, he has to be always updated on the latest in research. That didnt give much space to God in my life.
Now, after 4 years in college and with one year left, i am seriously considering changing my major (thats the next best option after quitting school, but that had other reprcussions). I am thinking more about something that has to do with mass media. Something that i enjoy and that i could use for my ministry later on.

Almost a week before the beginning of the accursed war, i had payed 6 months in advance for the rental of some kind of music studio. I had sold my car for that purpose (for you car freaks out there, it was an '84 Camaro Z28, so you would understand the difficulty of making such a choice). This project meant a lot to me for a number of reasons. Most importantly it was a great boost for our ministry in the rock/metal scene: We had planned to use the place for
A) providing a place for christian bands who need to practice for free,
B) lending it by the hour to secular bands who need a well equipped place to practice for an affordable price (this would also allow us to make better connections in the scene and build up relationships.. the options are endless),
C) giving music lessons for beginners, for a decent price too.. This would also help support christian musicians financially
D) a longer term project is to start recording. Again, free for christians and cheap for secular musicians or bands who cannot afford paying a lot for a decent demo. And of course, sessions recording too.

Another reason for the importance of this project for me was financial. I was planning on using whatever money the studio would make to pay my college fees. Private college in Lebanon is expensive. And public ones, although excellent at other topics, simply suck at mass media. Anyways i knew that the money we made out of lending the studio and giving private lessons would easily cover my college fees. We already had a lot of bands lined up to start.

We were supposed to start working 2 months ago but didnt, and this cost us a lot. The guys back in Beirut are trying to get things going again, but they are also busy trying to get their own thigs going too (thx guys, God bless you, esp. dany and antoine). And i am here in Cyprus working my butt off for 20 bucks a day at my uncles grill house. And skools in lebanon start at the end of the month.

So heres my dilemma.
IF i go back to lebanon right now i would have to ask my father to pay for college, the way its always been and i've been trying to avoid. I mean i dont really mind that but i'm 22 man!! hehe first i want my independance, and second my father is not a christian, so my recent choices have been quizzical to him, the "natural man". And looking irresponsible is not quite the best christian testimony i want to show him.
IF i stay here i would get the chance to work for 3 or 4 more months before next semester starts, but of course that would mean i would miss this coming one (and because of my major switch i am already back). But that should allow me to have enough money by then, along with whatever comes out of the studio run by the gang in beirut, to go back alone, like a big boy, to school.. ahem..

So there it is. I dont know what the heck YOU have to do with all this (if you've read this far). Maybe it's because, like i said, very few around me are understanding my choices or lack thereof, at least the options that i am considering and my motives.
Who knows, maybe God will send me a fresh word from some of you out there who know what i am talking about. (do not feel shy about commenting or emailing me if you feel you have any word from God to me.)

Of course there are still a lot of details in the story, but i cant document it all so i'll leave it there. It's a good platform to let you know of future decisions.

I just recalled something after typing all of this. Remember Alan from the previous post? Well i asked him to pray for me on the last day of Freakstock, and (HAHA he just came up on my randomized media player list of 1078 songs, in the song freestyle by obadja where he gives a prophetic speech).. anyway where was i? ah yes, so he prayed for me and prophecied that the coming 6 months of my life will be a time when i will have a lot of questions and tough decisions to make.

I already feel how right he was. I just hope i will make the right choices.

Pioneering the Kingdom... Part I

2006-08-26T00:30:00.000+03:00

Blogging is addictive. It makes you wana go back home (by that i mean online).
I've kinda forgotten the meaning of home. Not because of what happened in Lebanon, but because i am feeling more and more a citizen of the world. and of the kingdom of God. My humanity and my christianity have taken over the bigger part of my person.

I am also Lebanese. but somehow it feels like this tag was not born with me. I am not sure how to put that in words, but does nationality chronologically come with the same package as humanity? I LOVE the land of the cedars, i love the people even more. As unrepresentative of it i may seem, i really love the culture. But in the best case scenario, these are around for another 60 years. Not more.

I was very blessed to meet Alan at the Freakstock '06 Roundtable.
I am currently reading The Vision and the Vow by Pete Greig. A wonderfully written must-read.

Is there a relation between these two events, you may ask? (Alan and the book)

Oh, but there is.

God has been communicating a very powerful message to me lately, a message that is slowly taking shape. In short, it goes something like that: "the more you ask God to give you answers, the more questions He will unveil", or in a more socratic way: "the more you try to understand, the more ignorance you discover".

I think it all started with me trying to get a "clear vision" about my future. And my priorities by association. "Stupid words, clear vision" said God. I once heard that if you wana give God a good laugh, just tell Him your plans for the future.

As i already said, one of the biggest blessings during my "euro trip" (lol, germany and holland) was meeting up with faith veterans, the likes of Pastor Bob, Andrew Jones, Trevor Macpherson, Mirko Sander, Morten Holmqvist and others (i really didnt forget most of you)... And of course, Alan :)

SO there he was, with his tattooed tough biker stature and hugging hippie-like attitude (weird combination i know). He introduced himself as being a "retired pastor" who just wanted to "love and encourage others" (along with his wife Tina, who i would love to get to know more sometime). and that's exactly what they did at the round table. A true blessing for the rest of us!!

Usually i am not the type that likes socializing a lot. I don't go around talking to people i don't know about stuff they probably don't care about (that's always my preassumption). But the roundtable was different in at least two ways: first of all my aforemntioned preassumption dissipated as soon as everyone introduced themselves (in other terms, these are people you don't just bump into everyday). And second, i was there to learn from the "big guys". People who have been there. And four days are just tooo short to explore all this wealth!! so i knew i had to make the most out of my time, and went around asking questions.

And Alan was one of my question victims. I DO HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS!! I had to ask everyone about their ministries with alternative groups, since that's what are starting in Lebanon. I was more interested in what they did WRONG than right. cuz that's an area i can relate to.. ehem.

Back to the message. Alan doesn't like using big words (eg.: ministry, church, natural, normal etc..) so we had to use another vocab. As in the case of me talking to everyone else, i expected him to give me a list of Do's and Do not's. and as usual, i was wrong. Alan told me i'm a "seer" (i am still figuring out what he meant), and talked about the 90% of the Kingdom of God that christians usually fail to see. I didnt have to think much before agreeing. He made perfect sense to me.

What does it mean when God opens our spiritul eyes? It seems that to some people, this simply means replacing one set of beliefs and one type of religiousness and belonging, by others, perhaps "holier". But what does it really mean to people like Alan, who after decades of active "ministry" and leading and teaching others, set out on his own to "discover the Kingdom"??? There must be more than just a swap of belief systems, and even salvation.
The Vision and the Vow starts with one of the best pieces of literature i've ever read. A poem describing the vision of an emerging church (army) of selfless young people who will redefine the meaning of christianity and give a new meaning to the relationship with God (or the oldest meaning).

The Vision
The vision is Jesus - obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus.
The vision is an army of young people. You see bones? I see an army. And they are FREE from materialism.
They laugh at 9-5 little prisons. They could eat caviar on Monday and crust on Tuesday. They wouldn't even notice.
They are mobile like the wind; they belong to the nations. They need no passport.
People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence. They are free yet they are slaves of the hurting and the dirty and the dying.

What is the Vision? The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes.
It makes children laugh and adults angry. It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars.
It scorns the good and strains for the best. It is dangerously pure. Light flickers from every secret motive, every private conversation.
It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan games.

This is an army that will lay its life for the cause. A million times a day its soldiers choose to lose that they might one day win the great
"Well Done, faithful sons and daughters."
Such heroes are as radical on Monday mornings as Sunday night. They don't need frames from names.
Instead they grin quietly upwards and hear the crowds chanting again and again, "Come on!"

And the army is disciplined.
Young people who beat their bodies into submission. Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms.
The tattoo on their back boasts, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes. Winners. Martyrs. Who can stop them? Can hormones hold them back? Can failure succeed? Can fear scare them or death kill them?
And the generation PRAYS like a dying man with groans beyond talking, with warrior cries, sulfurous tears and with great barrow loads of laughter! Whatever it takes, they will give.

Breaking the rules. Shaking the mediocrity from its cozy little hide. Laying down their rights and their precious little wrings, laughing at labels, fasting essentials.
The advertisers cannot mould them. Hollywood cannot hold them. Peer pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late night parties before the cockerel cries.
They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive inside. On the outside? They hardly care. They wear clothes like a costume to communicate and celebrate but never to hide.
Would they surrender their image or popularity? They would lay down their very lives - swap seats with the man on death row - guilty as hell. An electric chair for a throne.
With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights and fruitless days, They pray as if it all depends on God and live as if it all depends on them. Their DNA chooses Jesus.
He breathes out, they breathe in.
Their subconscious sings. They've had a blood transfusion with Jesus. Their words make demons scream in shopping centers. Don't you hear them coming? Herald the weirdos!
Summon the losers and the freaks. Here comes the frightened and forgotten with the fire in their eyes. They walk tall and trees applaud, skyscrapers bow, mountains are dwarfed by these children of another dimension.

Their prayers summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient dream of Eden.
And this vision will be.
It will come to pass; it will come easily; it will come soon. How do I know? Because this is the longing of creation itself, the groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God.
My tomorrow is his today. My distant hope is his 3D. And my feeble whispered, faithless prayer invokes a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking "Amen!" from countless angels, from heroes of the faith, from Christ himself.
And he is the original dreamer, the ultimate winner.
Guaranteed.

So the core of this message i have been getting lies in the discovery of new dimensions in the Kingdom of God. It lies in the words of Jesus to His disciples that they are able to de greater things than He did, by that setting our standards even higher than Himself.

I have no idea where i am going with this, but i know i am getting somewhere. I know that this is my heart's yearning.
For now i'll just call this Part I.

(to be continued...)

Are we there yet?

2006-08-23T19:39:00.000+03:00

Email forwards about Lebanon are gaining popularity. Be it a joke, an analytical assessment or prediction, a bit of news or else, they are goin around like bees in a hive... I got a couple worth sharing, and a lot of pictures.

This is the "new lebanese flag", with the travel bag instead of the cedar.

I would say that this next one was written to reflect the insights of the average lebanese who survived the war. There are some typos here and there but i am not gonna edit it. I got it emailed by a friend.

Are we there yet? (Are we done? Is it over?)

Questions that do not leave my mind. It s been a little over one month since the war started or maybe it ended today. There is a cease fire that is supposed to have started (hopefully to last) at 8am local time., August 14, 2006

Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?

It is a question, a funny one, that usually children ask when they are tired and waiting to reach a point, usually a far place or home after a long day.

Yes, it reflects a state of being an inner feeling of being tired and/ or impatience. I should add that this question is continuously repeated during “the path”.

We have all been asking this question, since day one, and answers from all over varied from “ matter of days” to “months” .

And yet, we or at least I am not sure if it is over.

I mean you wake up one day and “HEY, the WAR is here”, and we live it some 35 days….what 35 days, that is 840 hours!

I still cant believe that we were in war, that we lived it again for the …. Oh, I lost count, I was born at the end of 1975, that is when the war started, a civil war, an Arab war on Lebanese territory if I dare to call it this way, then Israeli invasions, civil war….. oh. And we had peace early 1990s, but it was not a complete one. Lebanon a country in the last 30s years did not provide complete comprehensive security. There is always fear, in our eyes and heart and in our parents generations and… now this generation.

Not one year we had without security problems, a bomb here, an assassination there, clashes here and there, the south of Lebanon has always been a war scene.

Yes I cant believe we are (were) in WAR…. Strange coming from someone who lived war. Right? Wrong? Because this WAR was of different nature.

Here s the difference in my eyes:

- it hit almost all of Lebanon

- use of new mass destruction weapons

- role of media and satellite, and I mean that we hear the bomb we turn on the TV and there it is, we see it. We hear all the local, regional and international political analysis and that makes us more pessimistic than optimistic.

- It the first time that all of the Lebanese infrastructure is hit

- It is the first time that the scale is this big in such a short time

- Psychological war and I mean when you don’t know when the rockets will hit so it is continuous fear and more important are the flyers, Israeli special war planes very often are throwing flyers asking residents of some areas to leave immediately because they will bombard the areas.

- We got used to having for granted luxury things that are no longer available in war (yes I would say essential luxury, compared to those who have none): electricity, fuel… (if the latter is not available then we cannot have the generators on)

- We can no longer stand staying indoors, at home for long time

- The mass evacuation of Lebanese citizens with foreign nationalities and foreigners

- The remaining aspects of the war the same I would say.

- Yes we got older but it is not only my generation who feel the fear and the difference but everyone.

- And of course the presence of emails, internet.. globalization

I still can not believe, it passed 8am, so the war is over? Can I shout it from the roof tops, can I go to the corniche (the sea side) and look at the sea that I miss so much and say the war is over.

I would say not YET. We are not there yet. There is still need for a forever cease fire, we still need to know that parties will commit to this call, that the airport will open, that the ports will open, that the is no fear on the lives of those driving or walking on the streets. We are not there yet.

If my friends living abroad call me and say hey, congratulations we are so happy, we hear the war is over…. What would I say? Yes, thank you we are happy too, I could say this but it wont be fair it is a missing statement. Why?

Post war is the worse let me give some facts:

- almost all public schools and some private, and a lot of NGO centers have hosted the displaced, thus schools will not open on time this academic year, when you ask, I don’t know, some say in November!?

- All bridges and highways in Lebanon, those linking the north with Beirut, the south with the south, the south with Beirut, Beirut with the mount, Lebanon to Syrian borders…. Should I go on? Are damaged and it will take years to rebuild this infrastructure. Again, traffic and cursing, again hours spent on the roads…. It is ok, that is not the worse problem

- Some one million have been displaced, were forced to leave in a hurry their homes, their lands, houses, their personal belongings, when will they return, how long will it take?

- Some 1200 have died, and some 4000 have been injured 30% of those are children and most injuries are in the face, or have caused permanent damage.

- Some 40,000 have left the country with the evacuation missions

- Some 200,000 thousands have left the country to Syria and from there elsewhere

- Some 30% of the labour force have lost their jobs because their place of work has been destroyed, another 30% were asked to reign because the companies can no longer pay their salaried. Most have taken compulsory annual leaves, and a lot were given unpaid leave and half salaries.

- If unemployment before the war was unofficially estimated at around 23%, what are the rates now!? Some go as far as 70%!

- What about migration, the brain drain effect. Who will guarantee those Lebanese a safe return, a safe and decent life.

- How many are thinking NO, are applying and are actively looking for work to leave this country…

- Lebanon for me will be in the next years, a place where Lebanese will come to spend their vacations but will never forget summer 2006.

- Reconstruction! What again! Aren’t we done with that 15 years ago! Several areas in Beirut and in Lebanon have been reconstructed, due to war, to earthquake… now again. Just have a look at the pictures published by some news agencies or the google earth website, you can see for example Beirut Suburbs, Before and after. It is estimated that some 2300 residence unit has been destroyed. .can you imagine? Let me put it this way, usually every building is composed of 10 floors on average, and have some 15 housing unit. Can u imagine how many building has been flattened? Imagine the space the building needs… this is the destruction. We have thousand of families with no home, no place to stay in, who will compensate? The unavailable unemployment fund? There will be- like every time- conferences for the donor countries for the reconstruction of Lebanon! If the Tsunami hit areas still did not receive the alleged funds…. And it has been 2 years, will Lebanon have the money? Oh not to mention that winter is on the doors.

- Psychology! The war effect on people, on children. The images of war that we say every day on TV, photos of children torn into pieces

- What about the “leftovers”, mines filling the ground in the south, or the “gifts” dropped and left behind, when touched they blow up.

- Sea and pollution! The Lebanese shore, it is killed. The bombing of fuel reservoirs have lead to an unprecedented pollution of the cost, if you walk around it, you see black surface, the smell of gasoline.

- The bombs have created air pollution, it is said that the bombs used are in fact banned by the human rights, and yet they are used, they give such light when they hit, black smoke, gas smell… this will affect the health

We have been marked forever.

I would like to highlight some things:

- You walk in commodore street (in Beirut) for example and you see some shops around the corner half opened, and selling War T-shirts. Funny no! we Lebanese despite all what we go through we always manage an survive: T-shirts that have been stamped with: STOP DON’T SHOOT I M PRESS, or HOT SUMMER 2006, I WAS THERE, or LEBANON 2006 with a crying flag….

- You hear friends, and people on the street telling war jokes, some are so lame that you cannot not laugh, other are good ones…. The point is some having to do in life and this has become their passe temps! I cant imagine how people get their ideas for the jokes, soooo good. I admit it.

- Our prime minister speeches: yes, on several occasions while giving his speech in front of heads of governments and diplomatic corps… he had tears and had to stop to regain strength and continue. Some saw this as weakness in a statesman, other saw it as a sign of strength, human touch, of how much he cares. Any person who looks at the images of citizens being killed, of the pieces of the children, of babies dead…. Can you hold your tear? I cannot…. But wanted to stress on the humanitarian aspect that our PM has shown.

- Another point here, is the dirt you see, the garbage on the streets. Sure, there is no one to pick up the garbage, because most workers are non Lebanese and they have left the country early in the wary. Also because trucks were an Isareli target, so a lot of drivers were scared thus no one dares to move around, not to mention the highly dense population areas with the displaced population (not enough of a reason)

- Gym, oh the gym, I joined back the gym on the 1st of August after staying home and not moving other than taking the car and go to work, so all the afternoon is about eating, watching TV, not moving, trying to nap …. So it is easy to put weight (or the opposite some would just lose appetite), I was happy to join again the gym. But the gym was different because: opening hours are less, it s no longer crowded, the music is not as loud as before, the TV screens are set to local and international news stations it s no longer Fashion TV, no Comedy Channel, no sports channel….

- You walk in some areas and you smell garbage, you feel the dust and the smoke, and you hear the young clap their hands when the electricity comes back even if after midnight.

- Most of the time you feel like doing nothing. For me, I cant even have my mental movies, even the escape time, the ideal utopian time has been stolen by the WAR.

What was the War for me this last month, additional observations

1. As a start, no social life of course. I managed to go to work only, usually to only one center (main office) and a couple of times to other centers but I was very cautious meaning I always have the radio on the news channel in the car and avoid all bridges. Plus, the less you use the car the better because of the fuel shortage, and if available in some stations then you will have to wait in line sometimes for couple of hours to have the car filled not to mention the increase in prices.

2. Increase in prices did not only affect fuel, but everything else including vegetables, basic items… why? Because the cost of transport increased because again increase in fuel prices, security issues mainly because trucks were targeted by the Israeli planes and the danger of moving from the bekaa, south, north…. To Beirut and other areas.

3. So I go to work , yeah others could not go to work so they would stay home, some have lost jobs, others were asked to leave… and a lot and I mean a lot of factories were hit and destroyed. At work, we try to work but when you hear the bombs, the planes… you get distracted again and lose concentration all you think of is where did strikes hit, so if we are lucky and we have electricity we would watch the TV (and we used to watch it every hour almost for 5 minutes when they put the news flash or when ever we know there ll be a breaking news). So yes I admit it, we were not performing well, I was giving almost half of my attention, sometimes more but not that often.

4. my sister went to Canada (she has the nationality) with one of the evacuations carried by the Canadian embassy some 10 days after the beginning of the war. it was the right thing to I would say.

5. Electricity, because of the embargo Lebanon could have import fuel, and thus the stock was shrinking and not to fall completely short of it there was a schedule at the beginning no electricity for some 8 hours a day and then we had electricity only every 4 hours. But we are lucky. In our building we have a generator so most of the times we have it on during the day but after midnight no (imagine the heat with no fans or AC,,, I told you we are spoiled). but keep in mind the withering away of fuel in the country so with time we tried to decrease the number of hours for the use of the generator). Thus we would spend some time (mainly from 4-8) with no electricity, so we ll have the radio on (we have stocks of batteries and torches) and to pass the time in the last week started to play card games en famille . other times, it s the TV being zapped on all channels watching live broadcast and analysis of the news!!! And that was tiring and had or have negative effects on the person. You become very pessimistic.

6. As I said, outing… no existing. Where to? Some used to go out, but they are the more courageous ones. I mean we know most of the targets but there are always surprises so for us (at home) and most people I know preferred to stay indoors and not move, others went out but posed on themselves a curfew. However I have to mention in all honesty some areas in Lebanon in the north and the mount were not affected by the war and they almost lived a normal life. I ll add also that for us when we don’t hear the bombs or the sounds… we would say all is well and we ll have a rather good night sleep.

7. Oh, sleep, let me tell you. Rare were the nights that were not disturbed by the sounds of the bombs and the planes, sometimes flying at a very low altitude. So for us it was mainly, sleep early, and wake up during the night on the sounds, try to sleep again, then up again then sleep again… and then! It s time to start the day! Sleepless night not to mention the continuous thinking.

8. At the beginning of the war any sound would wake us up, we would jump from the beds to the corridors (a safe place because there are no windows or glass. It is were we have spent most of the nights during the tough war times in the past) then would turn the TV (at any time, granted we have electricity), after a week, we would just wake up watch the TV …. And then we got used to the sounds. Amazing no, we can tell if it is an air strike (i have to point that some of the bombs weight tens of tons!!!), or warship rocket, if it hits the Southern suburb of Beirut or it is only flyer bombs…. We are expert now. We know all the names! At the end, you get rather comfortable, less tensed and scared, but your heart still beat fast, some would still sweat, others would have gastric problems… no one can tell when they ll start or hit! So surprise.

9. As I said, the planes were part of our daily life, after one week, for me at least, I had the “humming” of the planes in my ears and mind at all time… it would not go away and not stop. Quite disturbing and you are always alert, because usually you hear a lot of war planes and most probably they would strike. Not nice I assure you.

10. As a security measure, the window glass in the rooms where we spend most of the time, or next to the bed are covered with plastic glue… you know to decrease the damage done when the glass is broken.

11. 4 days after the start of the war, and that was when the light house – which is a walking distance from were live – was hit, all of us at home packed in matters of minutes a back pack that included our valuables: university degrees and diplomas, cash money, bank books, jewelry, a torch… some other times and a set of clothes. These small bags were put in the corridor next to the door for emergency! They are still there. I am not that optimistic about the situation.

12. Passport and B B Queuing! Imagine I have spent hours queuing in the sun and under the sounds of the bombs and the watching the smoke rise instantly after the BOOM… just to have my passport renewed and have it ready in my back pack. Ready? Yes in case we had to leave the country, in case… it is a necessity to always have a valid passport.

13. I thank God for the presence of mobile, land lines, and internet. My only escape, my (our) link to the outside world…. I m daily in contact even several times a day, with my friends all over the world. Always asking about the situation and how we are doing and there is every time an invitation to Italy, UAE, Singapore, Canada, Bulgaria, Jordan, Spain, Swiss…. Amazing, friends do really provide support and smiles during those times. All pushing me to leave the country, be in a safer place… leave Lebanon and start a new life elsewhere.

14. True! They are right, I do think of it, and I am now a days applying for jobs outside of Lebanon. I don’t see the future here, I don’t see and feel stability my sense of belonging and patriotism is weak, it is not only me, rather all of my generation. I admit it.

15. did I mention the shopping? It is sale season and items are rather really discounted compared to normal sales, but who would buy! I mean we would save the money to buy basic items. At least the ones that are available on the shelves in the supermarkets. Really, if you go to a supermarket after 2 weeks of war and embargo, you see empty shelves and the reason behind (in addition to war, embargo…) is that most Lebanese would buy a lot and store the items in their houses fearing their unavailability. If you come and look in our kitchen and store room, you’ll find cans, grains, water… that would last for over 2 months! It is a security measure but bit exaggerated I would say.

16. last but not least, ATM machines in Lebanon no longer provide foreign currencies, you can only withdraw Lebanese pounds (for those who don’t Lebanon, the US$ is in most cases a primary account), of if you want to withdraw dollars you can only have 300$... no cash influx! And banks were working with half capacities in some cases. Again, cash was important in the back pack and a lot of cash, if you want to leave to Syria it would cost around 1000$ per car instead of 100$ (even less) pre war “era” and to Jordan another 1000… crazy! Tickets from Damascus to UAE for example have doubled to make up for the loss of empty planes returning to Syria. I can go on and on….yes, some lost money other made a fortune (while taking risks in some cases)

There is a lot more, but these were the main points, that is a wrap up, a short listing that would describe the situation, others I am sure would add a lot more and maybe change some other things, it depends on where we live, what side of Beirut, where in Lebanon… I am grateful for: having all my family and friends in good health, for having our homes and belongings intact, for still being able to go to work and being paid….

There we go, another war ended and now we shall wait………………to reach???

Are we there yet??

Other Lebanese are more optimistic. I got the next email from my high school's group mailing list. It is the reply of a member to another one who had decided to leave the "fucked up country" as he had said. I only took the names out.

Please, do NOT quit Lebanon. Do NOT leave it. We are many Lebanese around the world who are planning to COME BACK within the few next months. The TRUE wake up of Lebanon STARTS NOW.

Because, Lebanon became a REAL free independant country. NOW. I am talking from Europe, and we know that, now, and for a very long time, Lebanon economy and system will shine over the whole Lebanese.

The WAR is OVER. Please, do NOT quit the country.

...and finally (hopefully) some post war pictures.

I got these pictures from a good friend, who witnessed the destruction of Yaroun, his village at the southern borders. You can check more pictures of this destroyed village here

The following are pictures of the oily lebanese coast. That was caused by the spilling of the oil from the destroyed power plants. A true environmental DISASTER!!

And these are pictures of West Beirut before and after the war.

Commentators!! ..and the war is over...

2006-08-15T14:23:00.000+03:00

I always wondered why bloggers get so excited whenever they have readers commenting their blogs... now i know!! :) Thank you all for making my typing worth the while!! (and thank you Andrew for the link, but hey i directed ALLLL my readers to your blog in my last post :P)..

I am still outside Lebanon right now but i think i am getting quite an interesting perspective of what's going on...
As i check out the western media it feels like the war is over. I know Lebanon and Israel won't make the top news as has been the case for the last month..
But the truth is different... The fatherless, the motherless, the childless, the mutilated, the handicapped, the widow and the homeless are still waging war.
I think it will take a while, in the case of possibility, for the lebanese to retrieve that which was lost.
As i contact family and friends back home, not much has changed for them since the "fragile" cease-fire took place on monday. Airports, harbors, ports, bridges, main roads are still destroyed, gas stations and cars still empty, businesses still handicapped, the 1150 dead are still dead, the 3700 still injured, and the million refugees hoping they will find their homes intact as they migrate back to their villages... and most of all, Hizbullah is still in the same place of power, if not better, inside the country, and the Israeli moodswinging government still in power at the southern border. Life is very slowly crawling back in the vains of Beirut.
The lebanese now feel alone. Whether they had placed their trust and hope on the UN, the americans, the europeans, or even the iranians, the syrians, the arabs, the fact of the matter is no one moved a finger when the massacres were taking place. 32 days and no one would condemn the killing.. I am talking about governments and politicians here, not the people. In fact, people all over the world showed their solidarity and sympathy with the lebanese. Thank you.

I am not into politics. I always hated it. But i am not talking politics here, i am being humanitarian. I admit that until recently, people dying in Iraq, palestine, somalia, indonesia, were not much more than a statistic to me. But trust me, when destruction comes striking your home, and death plagues your family, you won't be interested in discussing much politics!!

The facts are simple: we don't feel safe, because we are not safe. NO ONE can guarantee the safety of the lebanese against mutual hatred, religious fundamentalism from both sides, and vengeance, which are only fueled by the periodical agressions taking place every now and then.. it is a vicious cycle.

Leaders in the west (namely "christian" leaders) must understand this: YOU SIMPLY CANNOT GET RID OF FUNDAMENTALISM USING VIOLENCE!!!
Fundamentalism and fanaticism FEEDS on violence...
Just imagine: if all the resources, energy and money put into waging pointless wars was instead put into evangelising the muslim world...
"Eradicating muslim fundamentalism" equals "eliminating every muslim".. what are the chances??

Anyway that's heavy stuff... You could visit Arabs For Christ website. You can get an idea about the kind of war we're waging (in accordance with Ephesians 6). Make sure to visit the message board too.

I am having a WONDERFUL time in Germany with Hajo and Rebecca. German hospitality reminds me a lot of the lebanese people. I feel at home here. And the lanscape... ohhhhhhhh the landscape!! been to the black forest yesterday.. the thickest and most beautiful i've ever seen!!! Gotta love the old architecture, too
I will be going to the Netherlands this week and we will be sleeping in tents :) so i dont think i will have much of an internet access, but i will try to post something now and then. I will come back to Germany then Cyprus on the 21st.

In general it feels good to have a cease fire in Lebanon, that's a start but definitely not the end...
Somehow i know that the prayers raised from the roundtable tent at Freakstock have something to do with that ;) NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF PRAYER.

Please keep Lebanon and the lebanese in your prayers

Grey matter matters!!

2006-08-13T04:29:00.000+03:00

I still can't tell what really incited me to blog. I am usually not the type of people who would like others to read them... I still haven't made up my mind about the topics or how much of my opinions on things i will expose.

I could blame Andrew Jones for suggesting the idea (a big thanks to you, btw :D), or globalization. I could also blame the fact that people are more misinformed than ever in the "age of mass media". Ooooo, mass media... "mess" could be a more accurate description. I am truly starting to believe that blogging might be the best way to get objective news and unbiased opinions about pretty much anything.
But when i really come to think about it, the thing that might have incited me the most is that in this time of my life i am in the process of finding out what's really important to me, and setting my priorities straight.
And somehow, maybe in my subconscious, i feel that sharing my thoughts with the world and exposing them to open criticism will 1) help me improve them, and 2) challenge me to REALLY think and consider whatever i say, do or believe.

Anyways i have a lot to say and i don't know where to start. As i grew up in Lebanon i always considered that i would live abroad. My negative attitude towards things always pointed out every negative aspect of this country (trust me, it is easier to count the hair on your head). We would spend our summers in Cyprus as a family (i was born and partly raised there) and coming back to Lebanon would be bad news for me.
Strange enough, something changed when i got to know Christ. Somehow all of my priorities changed, including the position that the people in Lebanon held in my heart. I remember, as a 20 year-old, on a holiday trip to Cyprus that summer followed by a ministry trip to Jordan, i could not wait to come back to the land of cedars. That feeling was unprecedented and even shocking for me!! Now i couldn't possibly imagine myself living elsewhere...

Ironically, i am typing this post from Germany :)... But that's only temporary. I came here basically for FREAKSTOCK, a 4 days concert, and the roundtable, an amazing gathering of worldwide "alternative churches" leaders... 24 countries represented!! and some of the best people i ever got to meet. I was invited here by Hajo and Rebecca, who i met earlier this year as they happened to be in Lebanon during their middle east tour. I can't thank these guys enough for all they've done!! (and still doing lol) thanks a TON!! Pictures and links will be posted soon. (i just got that idea).
Then i will be going to Flevo Fest in the Netherlands next week (neat Jesus Freaks gang they have over there).
Then back to Cyprus. I flew from there to Germany in the first place, after fleeing from Lebanon's unfortunate events.

It sucked having to leave my life behind on a one hour notice. The only reason we were able (with my family) to easily get out was because we also have the cypriot citizenship so we got summoned with the rest of the cypriot nationals in Lebanon to gather at beirut port. And by "easily get out" i mean on a greek warship!! It was a crazy 10 hour trip to larnaca in Cyprus, and i couldn't stop thinking about all the friends and family i'm leaving behind... almost felt like a traitor leaving them when things got tough!!

Anyway enough drama for one post.. I guess i got some ideas about how to follow up on the discussion later...
You see, grey matter is like diesel: it might be a while before it takes off, but when it does, you better get out of the way!! It's a thunderstorm in my head right now, so all of this might not really make sense tomorrow.

'til then, goodbye and take care

The grand disscection... i mean opening

2006-08-12T06:34:00.000+03:00

Ok here it goes... Under pressure from the MILLIONS of fans flooding my email inboxes, the great "I" have decided to open my mind for the best of science and the human race in which i have so much faith..

Just kidding.. i dont really believe in it (oh, and the fans things was a joke, too)

I hope that was a good ice-breaker. They say that humor is a secret password to the brain.. YES!! i used my infallible sense of humor to get to the deepest dark abysses of your unweary brain and lay my ideas in there. Muhaha!!

But you shouldn't know that... and even if you did you shouldn't be offended cuz i will honestly use that blog as a window to my brain... well, the vision might be blurry at times, but i really have a lot to say about a lot of things, and i hope to be as objective and intellectual - ehem - as i can...

Many rooms in my brain... a lot happening in most of them... a wide range of topics... enjoy the exploration...