Where are the role models?
January 2017With all the changes rocking the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and indeed the wider world, it is not only a sense of chaos that is increasingly causing hopelessness and desperation. A lack of quality role models, of leaders or authorities who can be trusted, is also a very important contributor to the crisis. People need order and […]
Peace on earth – more than a dream?
December 2016This Christmas at church, our Sunday school children are getting ready to act out the nativity scene. Imagine it: retelling the birth of Christ with real, local Bethlehem children – surely it can’t get any better! But for many of the people living in this region, living in peace seems a faraway dream. They don’t know the powerful words Jesus […]
In Morocco on a road less travelled
September 2016Rachid describes the long and surprising course of his journey to faith. I am Pastor Rachid from Morocco. I lead a Church here and serve Christ in several parts of the country through discipleship training, education, church planting and media. My journey to faith in Jesus Christ and service in Morocco has involved many twists and turns, but my life […]
Lean on me
August 2016Women in the Middle East and North Africa often face restrictions and negative attitudes, leaving them crying out for worth. Here, our Bethlehem blogger Grace describes the difference following Christ has made in giving her – and other women she knows – a secure identity and sense of purpose… Not far from where I live, beautiful golden sunlight splashes […]
Springtime by the beach, ski time in the mountains – March 2016
March 2016Contrary to popular belief, the Middle East is far more than sandy desert. Countries all across the Levant and North Africa have beautiful mountains and even snowy winters. Lebanon is one of the best Arab countries to visit during winter because of its unusual climate. The winters come with lots of rain and occasional storms that blanket Lebanon’s mountains – […]
The Pursuit of Freedom – February 2016
February 2016After 40 days of celebrating Christmas, the massive Christmas tree in Manger Square was taken down in the middle of January. The festival lingers longer here than in any other place, but the tree’s removal marked the fact that Christmas was now officially over in this little town. Bypassers looked on at the changing scene, no doubt reflecting on the […]
How Egypt celebrates Christmas – December 2015
December 2015“Out of Egypt I called my Son.” (Hosea 11:1) These verses are treasured by every Egyptian Christian. The Gospel of Matthew (2:13-15) tells how Hosea’s prophecy of Israel’s deliverance was fulfilled in a new way in the life of Jesus. The God who had rescued His people miraculously in the Exodus now snatched His Son from Herod’s snare when an […]
Learning to forgive – November 2015
November 2015An accidental faux pas sometimes teaches you a lot about a culture. On this occasion it was a warning from a Lebanese friend that saved me – a Lebanese American living in Beirut – from breaking convention. What crime against custom had I been about to commit? Simply, I was planning to wear my very Californian flip flops in public. […]