Sunday, January 19, 2003

Friends In Christ,

Epiphany greetings in the name of the manifested Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ! The majority of Christians in the Middle East-some 15 million-come from the Orthodox tradition. Today they celebrate Epiphany. In some traditions Epiphany is not only one Sunday but a season that goes on for several weeks. So, it can be said that we are still in the midst of Epiphany.

Epiphany is the season in the church calendar that comes right after Christmas. It is the season of the manifestation of the Lord Jesus, as it is written in the Gospel of Luke 2:30-31. "For mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all people."

The four families include:

• The Evangelical (or "Protestant") family (Reformed, Lutherans, and Episcopalians)
  
• The Eastern (or "Greek") Orthodox family (Non-Chalcedonian)
  
• The Oriental Orthodox family (Chalcedonian)
  
• The Catholic family

This was a strong and a challenging message to the churches here in the Middle East at this difficult time for us all. With the bells of war ringing from Palestine to Iraq and with military forces arriving in different countries in the region, can Jesus still be the treasure whom we can carry to the nations of our region at this time of despair and homelessness? Do we really have the message of the good news, or do we only have bad news?

At this time of Epiphany, the time of the manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ to the nations, and at this time of prayer for Christian unity, which also means the manifestation of the Lord Jesus through our common witness to his people, let us remember the Prophet Isaiah when he says,

Arise; shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold darkness shall cover the earth and thick darkness the people; but the lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And the nation shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Friends, we are in a very difficult time in the Middle East. We are facing the possibility of a very dangerous war. We have been in war for many years but this is very different, with the military build-up taking place every day. There are many peacemakers and many voices crying in the wilderness, working to find another solution. May God forbid this war. If we do have a war there, the killing and destruction will be enormous. So please let us all pray that God in His own way will interfere in a miraculous way to prevent all of this.

Let us pray for the leaders of this world, that God may inhabit their hearts and give them wisdom, knowledge, love, and mercy, instead of overheated anger and foolishness. Let us all unite in prayer so that the manifestation of the Lord can be made real through His people, even to those who seem so far from Him, so that killing, destruction, chaos, hatred, and revenge can be prevented.

In His Service,

Nuhad Tomeh

The 2003 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, page 158.