Document
To
WCC member churches in Lebanon
The Middle East Council of Churches
Geneva, 5 August 2020
“He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.”
Psalm 147:3
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
It is with great affliction and sorrow that we followed the devastating news of the explosions in the Beirut port on 4 August. On behalf of World Council of Churches fellowship, I want to express my deepest compassion and solidarity to you, to the people of Beirut and all Lebanon.
I offer my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragedy and pray for a swift recovery to the thousands who are injured. Be assured that our churches worldwide are praying for the victims among you, the rescue teams, the families affected, and all the Lebanese people traumatized by this tragic incident.
From the pain we felt by witnessing and sharing the suffering of the people and the damage caused to their homes and places of work, we call upon God’s mercy, love and grace that the Lebanese people may be empowered with strength to move forward on the journey of Life and resilience.
We pray and trust that our member churches and church related relief agencies will stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Lebanon. Lebanese people need all possible humanitarian aid to survive this tragedy, heal their injured victims and reconstruct their homes, hospitals, churches and work places in the midst of an already very difficult economic, financial, political and social context.
May the Triune God comfort your nation in these troubled times marked by grief and hurt and may your faith continue to remind you that it is God’s breath of life that encourages all of us “to seize the hope set before us.” (Hebrews 6:18b)
With greetings of solidarity in Christ,
Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca
Interim general secretary
World Council of Churches