Building bridges in turkey
The Church in the Middle East is a complex mosaic of different Christian communities – and the relationships between them don’t always reflect the love and oneness of Christ. Here, SAT-7 TÜRK’s Annamaria Cedolin shares how the channel is working hard to bring the churches together and demonstrate unity to its viewers:
If there is one thing worse than not having a lot of Christians living in Turkey, it is the division amongst Christian communities in this country. So we at SAT-7 TÜRK have made it our mission to act as a bridge between all the different churches in our land.
Despite the differences between denominations, what if we could look more at what unites these churches? What if we focused on the amazing things that make us all the body of Christ? Can you imagine the richness of culture, the experiences, the wonderful points of view, the prayers, the testimonies and most of all the brotherhood that would emerge?
We at SAT-7 TÜRK have tried to do this for many years. We have built a great bond with the leaders of all these churches. We have approached them, saying that we want to be their voice, on-screen and online. We have invited patriarchs, bishops, pastors, and clergymen and women to come and make programmes with us. And this is just the beginning!
Imagine how all this makes us look to our non-Christian viewers. This huge, unified community, focused on love, mercy and forgiveness. A community that helps their neighbours and brings light to scatter the darkness. A community of people who glorify God even in the worst of situations.
Courage, my beautiful family! God is with us. When we unite, we can change the world.
Pray and read
- Pray that Christmas broadcasts on SAT-7 TÜRK from different church traditions will display the unity of Christ to those who are watching.
- Read John 17:20-23. What does this mean for your own church and the churches in your area?
- Watch: Below, SAT-7 TÜRK Executive Director Melih Ekener explains how the channel has built trust across Turkey's many small Christian communities and is giving them a voice.