December 15, 2005

Coming with the Power of Love

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 peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you
and His glory will be seen upon you.
And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
Isaiah 60:1-3

Dear Friends in Christ:

Advent and Christmas greetings from Syria!

It is the second Sunday in Advent and I am writing from a small village in Syria called Yazedieh. This is my hometown, the place where I grew up, and I have been asked by the pastor of the Presbyterian church here to preach, as he has been called away to lead worship today in another city. When he asked me to replace him he suggested that I take into consideration some of what is happening in our country, Syria, especially with so much threatening talk of war against the country. These days, Christian and Muslim religious leaders feel the need to comfort and encourage their people and to strengthen their faith in God. Perhaps, a message about hope, love, and peace might be in order, with a reminder of our need to trust in the almighty God, who will never leave us! In fact, He is among us, in all life’s circumstances. “What a coincidence,” I said. Isn’t that the message of Advent, the message of hope that Christ is coming to be present with us in love and to bring us His peace?

"His coming is a continuous act: He comes with the power of saving love, judging the nations to establish justice among the people, turning darkness into light to restore the truth. He is liberating us from our sins and our selfishness and our prejudice and our judgmental actions toward others. He is restoring a troubled world.

"More then ever before, we Christians in the Middle East are in need of His coming. We claim His hope, His courage, His strength: for the people of Syria to face the unknown and to trust that He will never leave them; for the people of Palestine, Israel, and Iraq, to give them peace and justice, security, and stability; for the people of Lebanon, love and unity; for all peoples, that peace replaces war, righteousness replaces evil, and love replaces hatred. Our wait for His coming should be active and not passive, as we carry on the message of the incarnation and walk in His steps."

This was my Advent message to the small Presbyterian congregation in Syria, and it is my message to all congregations and friends here in the United States and all around the world. We all need, first of all, to be reassured of the message of Advent and then to share it with others.

Dear friends in Christ, I want you to know that Christians in the Middle East do pray for you, and they look to you to do the same for them. Many of you have gone beyond praying for the people of the Middle East, and are in active solidarity and support and partnership with them; together, you share in a common ministry of the Lord Jesus and His Church.

Please continue to both pray for and partner with us: it is very essential for us in maintaining an active Christian presence and witness in that region.

May the message of Christmas be an ever alive in you, and, through you, to others.

Nuhad Tomeh

PS: My wife Grace and I are now grandparents. Our first granddaughter, born to Paul and Marla, arrived December 1, 2005 at 6:20 p.m. Both Mother and baby are in a good health, thanks be to God.

The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 168