Susy and I had the privilege of driving into the mountains of Lebanon with our friends Nabil and Sarah this week. It had just snowed and it was a stunning, spectacular experience. We drove from the sea into the mountains above 5,000 feet and looked over a landscape which has been fought for for many centuries.
One of the ironic or providential things is that there were many churches (Maronite) in the villages through which we drove. They are hundreds of years old, perched on hillsides staring down the gorge at Beirut.
In a land which is predominantly Muslim now there is a sense of gravitas with the presence of these churches and crosses, almost as if they remind us of a past and a future for this great land.
Some people might say that Christianity is on the retreat in Lebanon. I am not so sure of that - there is a rich Christian heritage and vision as Christians and Muslims live together (although admittedly with a lot of tension). I am grateful for the beautiful images of churches we encountered high in the mountains of Lebanon.
In a land which is predominantly Muslim now there is a sense of gravitas with the presence of these churches and crosses, almost as if they remind us of a past and a future for this great land.
Some people might say that Christianity is on the retreat in Lebanon. I am not so sure of that - there is a rich Christian heritage and vision as Christians and Muslims live together (although admittedly with a lot of tension). I am grateful for the beautiful images of churches we encountered high in the mountains of Lebanon.
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