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June 2002
Greetings from Beirut.
The Big Question I am struggling with these days is this: Did
something tragic and evil have to happen in order to get people
around the world—especially in the U.S.—to be aware
of the issues which affect the Middle East? At the Middle East
Council of Churches, we have always been asking our international
partners to pay more attention to of comprehensive peace and justice
in the region, until, together, we see the words of Amos (5:24)
fulfilled: But let justice flow like waters and righteousness
like an ever-flowing stream.
Since September 11, we have been encouraged by the visits of many
ecumenical partners, who brought hope by showing their solidarity
with the people of the Middle East whose image was badly damaged
by the Western media’s coverage of September 11. As the person
in charge of international linkage for MECC, it has been my responsibility
and privilege to coordinate regional visits for and accompany
delegations through Beirut, Lebanon, and Syria, such as:
- A 17-member U.S. team from the National Council of Churches,
which included PC(USA) Vice-moderator, Ms. Janet Arbesman
- An 8-member delegation from the Evangelical Churches of Germany,
which included the Lutheran Bishop of Berlin
- A joint 5-member delegation of the Church of Scotland and the
United Reformed Church, which included the International Officer
However, the largest—and longest—delegation visit for
which I was responsible, is one which began with a major conference
here in Beirut and ended with an 11-day tour of Syria and Lebanon.
In May, Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding (EMEU)
celebrated its 15th anniversary by convening its annual conference
in Beirut, Lebanon. Co-sponsored by the Middle East Council of Churches
(MECC), this event featured presentations by leading clergy and
lay-leaders from around the Middle East and offered an in-depth
ecumenical perspective on the challenge of being a Christian in
the region today. Centered around the theme "The Church: A
Sign of Hope and Healing in the Middle East," the 4-day event
brought together over 70 Western Christians (the biggest percentage
of whom were Presbyterians!) with over 80 Middle Eastern Christians
to learn from, be encouraged by, and dialogue with one another.
Working with EMEU’s Executive Director, Marilyn Borst, I was
the co-organizer for both this event and for the 11-day tour of
Lebanon and Syria that followed (with 40 of the conference attendees
participating) and which included ecumenical meetings with Christian
and Muslim leadership in these two countries.
Keynote addresses were delivered by (Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem)
His Grace Riah Abu Asali, whose presence reminded us of the
urgent need to effect peace in his homeland, nearly broken by
the ongoing incursions which weigh so heavily on a land already
weary from a half-century of occupation. Greek Orthodox Metropolitan
of Beirut, His Grace Elias Audeh echoed the same sentiments.
"Racial discrimination, occupation, and other forms of human
humiliation and indignity," he said, "are the lot of
millions of people…. The unity of humanity—shattered
by human pride and the lust to possess the creation—is restored
by and in Jesus Christ…life in God is a life concerned with
peacemaking." His Grace Bishop Marcos, an effervescent
leader of the millions of Coptic Orthodox Christians in Egypt,
pointed to the deep spiritual roots of the Church (which are traced
back all the way to the apostle Mark), which continue to renew
and refresh each new generation to be an effective witness for
Christ.
One of the most eagerly anticipated panels focused on Iraq, with
witness to its vibrant and persevering Christian community provided
by the Presbyterian/Evangelical pastor in Kirkuk, Rev. Haithem
Jazrawi, and by three bishops from Baghdad: HG Shlimon
Wardouni (Chaldean Catholic); HG Avac Asadourian, (Armenian Apostolic);
and HG Samer Hawa (Syrian Orthodox). With the threat of new
U.S. military incursion looming after enduring 11 years of sanctions,
Bishop Wardouni’s clarion call to action—not just intention—was
convicting: "Our churches in Iraq are hungry, thirsty, naked,"
he said, "The Lord will ask you about this in the day of
judgment. He will say, ‘When I was hungry, you didn’t
feed me—because you have not done this for your brothers
and sisters, the churches in Iraq and the Middle East.’"
For a full report on the conference and tours, visit EMEU’s
website: www.emeu.net. More information on the work and mission
of the Middle East Council of Churches can be found at www.mecchurches.
Within days of the finish of this major EMEU/MECC undertaking,
I was called back into service with a very different focus. A
large dam burst close to the city of Hama, in Syria, destroying
four villages. I was asked to coordinate MECC’s response,
contacting our international partners for emergency funds, and
then, through our office in Aleppo, directing those funds toward
the immediate needs of blankets and tents for the thousands of
displaced persons—this work continues as I write.
Please continue to work and pray for comprehensive peace and
justice in the Middle East.
In His service,
Nuhad Tomeh
The 2001 Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 137
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