Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter a month later than western Christians. One beautiful Orthodox tradition is the ceremony of lights in Jerusalem: Christians light their candles in the ancient city and take the fire back to their homes. Meanwhile, the Middle East conflict continues to impact Christians alongside their fellow-citizens. From Aleppo, the Aid to the Church in Need agency shared the heart-breaking words of Franciscan priest Father Ibrahim Alsabagh: ‘Never, since the beginning of this terrible war, were things as bad as they are now. I have no words to describe all the suffering I see on a daily basis. When the bombs do stop falling, there is an eerie silence, like in a cemetery. When will the world community finally wake up and put an end to this new Sarajevo?’ A London-based Syrian Orthodox priest, Revd Nadim Nassar, said he was ‘furious’ with the global Church for its failure to speak out against the atrocities in Syria.
The church in the Middle East
Written by David Fletcher 13 May 2016Additional Info
- Pray: for nations to support our Middle East family of believers and for them to be strong as they face hostility. (Job 5:21)
- More: www.wazala.org/2016-05-briefing/#church