It’s called the Beqaa. The massive rift valley in the center of Lebanon separated from the coast by the Mount Lebanon range to the west and from Syria on the East by the Anti-Lebanon mountains. In this picture, Syria is straight ahead over the mountains in the background. The Beqaa forms the northeastern-most extension of the Great Rift Valley, which extends down the spine of East Africa.

While historically the bread-basket of the region, today it is a harbor and a crossroads for the drug trade, money laundering, and terrorists of many stripes …Hezbollah, Iranian jihadists, and Syrian infiltrators into Lebanon to name the more well-known. It figured prominently in one of the first Tom Clancy novels I ever read years ago as a hotbed of intrigue and espionage.

As I was driving through it with one of the Lebanese who serves and ministers with us in Beirut, he mentioned that he used to be in the Beqaa several times a week and he pointed out the places where groups of believers in Jesus met.

I continued to be amazed at how God establishes his presence and signs of his Kingdom’s reality even in the most inhospitable places on the planet.

Lebanon continues to teeter on the verge of war and chaos. One of the major destabilizing factors contributing to the present situation was the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri in February of 2005. His death further catalyzed the “cedar revolution” which resulted in the end of Syria’s overt influence in Lebanon.

We passed over the place where a bomb blew up Hariri’s car on a Beirut thoroughfare. The blast, equivalent to 1000 kgs of TNT, gouged a 30 foot hole in the pavement and the evidence of the magnitude can still be seen from the destruction of the surrounding buildings in the photos above.

While the UN investigates and the labyrinth that is Lebanese politics continues to swirl with intrigue, life in Beirut is characterized by fear and uncertainty. Such instability can make life hard, but it also means people grapple with the significant and the deeply personal much more readily than those whose lives are immune to such trauma.

Beirut is a contemporary example of what historians and missiologists have always known; that spiritual receptivity can be the silver lining of social/political upheaval. The search for God and ultimate meaning takes on a new urgency when all hell is breaking loose around us. What I have seen firsthand in places like this is that the good news of Jesus is profoundly transforming when communicated humbly and lived out authentically. Such sovereign intervention by God, mediated by those on the ground determined to follow Jesus, is the only hope for Lebanon.

This is one of the few remaining groves of the famous cedars of Lebanon. I had a unique chance to wander in this remote grove up in the mountains recently during time in the Middle East. These trees are remarkable …huge umbrellas with massive trunks, some which were alive during the time of Jesus.

Wood from these trees were used in ancient times by the Phoenicians to build their trade and military ships, as well as their houses and temples. The Egyptians used its resin for mummification, and its sawdust was found in the pharaoh’s tombs. Jewish priests were ordered by Moses to use the bark of the Lebanon Cedar in circumcision and treatment of leprosy. Kings of neighboring and distant countries asked for this wood to build their religious and civil constructs, the most famous of which are King Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem and David’s and Solomon’s Palaces. In addition it was used by the Romans, Greeks, Persians, Assyrians and Babylonians.

One gets a very different picture of the realities of life and ministry in the Middle East when on the ground in the region. Particularly stunning is the perspective on the state of Israel shared by many of those who are followers of Jesus and who live in the region. What I found is dismay at the uncritical, and what they perceive as naive, posture held by many North American Christians in their unequivocal support of the secular Jewish state.

The facts are that that almost all of those who name the name of Christ in the Middle East are also Arabs. The cannot understand the theological and/or geo-political justifications that American Christians—particularly some evangelicals—give to political Israel and Zionism. It makes no sense to them biblically, historically, or politically.

What is happening in this region is incredibly complex. And the only long-term solution is the present and future rule of the Prince of Peace and his Kingdom, which has no bias regarding family of birth, ethnic group, or possession of land.

(The pic above is of a major bridge destroyed by the Israelis in northern Lebanon during last summer’s war. I had the chance to see it up close and personal. Bombing it severed a major artery between Beirut and the western part of the country and inflicted great suffering on innocent segments of the population. Its destruction had little strategic or military value).

We have people serving and ministering in Beirut who, with their families, lived through the trauma of the war last year.

When visiting with them, all things trite and insignificant pale in light of their circumstances and gravity of the Middle East context. They minister in a crucible where there is indescribable pressure from every side: radical Sunni Muslims, militant Palestinians, Hezbollah and radical Shiites, Syria, “Christian” militias, pressure from the majority Marionite Catholics, and the ever present threat of Israeli incursions, bombings and retaliations in which innocent people are invariably hurt.

In this unbelievable cauldron of political, religious and social turmoil, they are following Jesus with perseverance and integrity. Their quiet, steady ministry in Lebanon and throughout the region is making a profound contribution to the Christian movement on the soil of the lands where it first originated. The honor is all mine to serve alongside them.

This is my view this evening of the Nile in the heart of Cairo.

It’s been a day packed meeting with folks here who are doing some thrilling things when it comes to representing Jesus both far and near. I’ve learned much. The diversity and magnitude of what God does to see His name renowned among the nations and the worship of his Son extended is astounding.

During my day, I’ve seen again that the missionary purpose of a gracious and ever-redeeming God can never be put into boxes or relegated to a limited number of human structures. His persistent pursuit of a wayward humanity is staggering to the imagination, not just that he would do it but that he would do it with such infinite creativity and accommodation to our limitations.

Deo Gloria!

I was scheduled to be in Lebanon this week and then on to Egypt. The travel has been postponed.

With all the turmoil and unrest in the region as a result of the assassination of Pierre Gemayel, the purpose of going was defeated. The ability to travel, move around the city, meet with people, etc., is next to impossible. Our folks living and serving in the region wrote:

“After several contacts yesterday and today with many people who are very well connected with the different factions in the country at the highest levels, we were informed that the upcoming week is very critical and it is most likely that Beirut airport would be closed due to the planned demonstrations and actions. Once things start it is not clear when and how it will end. The situation is very critical and outcomes could go any direction.”

CRM has several families living and serving in Lebanon. This is the latest from the leader of the team, a Lebanese national:

Once again Lebanon and the Lebanese have fallen victim to the vicious hand of evil!

You no doubt have heard of the assassination of Pierre Amine Gemayel. His murder may easily trigger civil unrest particularly at this very sensitive period in the history of Lebanon.

Directly after his murder, many Lebanese flooded the streets blocking roads, burning tires and photos of political opponents… In several parts of Beirut, the Internal Security had to intervene to stop fights between people affiliated with opposing factions. The funeral is scheduled for tomorrow and hundreds of thousands are going to take the streets.

This comes at a time when we embarking on new ministry opportunities and many doors are opening in normally closed communities. While our country and people have grown used to times of crisis and difficulty, our hearts are burdened with sorrow. Nevertheless, we are not afraid knowing that our God is in control.

Please pray for Lebanon and the Lebanese; for wisdom at all levels and the avoidance of reactions that lead to further strife in the country. May God have mercy on our people and country.

CRM has people serving and living in Lebanon. It is hard to describe the difference it makes when the scenes on CNN are places I’m familiar with and where I know people on the ground. The geo-political becomes profoundly personal.

As this conflict has exploded onto headlines around the world, these courageous folks yesterday wrote:

“The situation is devastating and maddening … It is war, war at large… Your prayers (and the prayers of those who know us) are very much needed. Prayers for safety, for peace in this country, for mercy and grace… We fully trust the Lord, the Almighty with our lives, our families and the ministry. We wholeheartedly believe that He does hold tomorrow. We trust that even in the darkest moments of such wrath and intense anger, His mercy and goodness will prevail. There’s a huge atmosphere of depression and desperation in the country and the Israeli forces are applying a complete siege, which is creating panic among the people. Yet we believe God is good…”