Christians in the Crossfire
By Ron Brackin
Special Correspondent, ASSIST News ServiceAMMAN, JORDAN (ANS) – They are in neither the Israeli nor the Hezbollah camp. But they are in Lebanon. And that’s enough to make them targets.
They are in neither the Israeli nor the Hezbollah camp. But they are in Lebanon. And that’s enough to make them targets.Thousands of Christians are among more than 700,000 people displaced by the war between Israel and Lebanon. They’ve left everything behind, which often means that they have lost everything, because many will have no homes to return to.
Nor are there lots of places they can turn to for help. As radical Islamist views escalate and spread throughout the region, being a Christian becomes more dangerous. Followers of Jesus are not in the pipeline for aid from Iran or Syria. And few show up on the radar of international humanitarian organizations.
Who then will help these brothers and sisters?
“If anyone does not provide for his relatives,” Paul wrote to Timothy, “and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).
Part of the solution is a one million-dollar emergency project called Cedars—indigenous churches and international Christian agencies partnering together to provide monthly aid for the next six months to 2,500 Christian families, an estimated 10,000 men, women and children.
Aid includes food, blankets and linens, hygiene supplies, medical kits, bibles and children’s books.
Because many have lost family members, possessions and homes, Cedars will also provide trauma counseling, including production and airing of special programming on Christian satellite stations to help families deal with the escalating conflict.
Due to heightened religious tensions, Cedars officials have asked that the identities of participating churches and local partners not be published.
You can help provide urgently needed emergency aid and comfort to thousands of Christian victims of the crisis in the Middle East by contacting Safa Hijazeen at safa@manaraministries.org.
