Serving among the downtrodden people of Syria since 1997, even in the time of war, makes me understand what it means to hold the cross and follow Jesus. Pain everywhere, doubts everywhere, shouts everywhere, death everywhere. Then suddenly you see a small glimpse of light – white, shiny light cutting across the darkness that causes you to question if it’s even real.
You ask the Lord, “Why and how is light shining and is it that small?” He answers with bigger and bigger and bigger rays of light. Then you can live and see the astonishing aspect of resurrection after the cross. This is repeated every day in our ministry in Syria.
We see a woman in the hospital fighting for her life after the terrible earthquake in February. She is in physical pain and mentally traumatized from losing her four children. As a Christian, you want to show compassion but also to turn her despair to life by telling her about the resurrection. Then in another area you see 500 children receiving Christmas boxes from children in another part of the world. Inside a box is a letter from another child saying, “There is hope, and we are there for you.”
Light in the darkness. Resurrection amidst death.
This ministry is not easy. It is stressful. But when Jesus tells us as his disciples to “take up your cross and follow me,” we can answer the call knowing it will be answered by the light of resurrection.
Prayer Requests
• Pray for our church team to have the stamina to continue in the ministry of the daily cross and resurrection.
• Pray the people in Syria will come to know that Christ feels their pain and longs to be there for them.
• Pray that we as servants on the ground have the strength to spread the Good News even with all the difficulties.
Micheline Makkar is a lecturer and speaker in many international and national conferences, especially in the Arab world and Europe. She and her husband worked on the production of the international Syrian film “Damascus Speaks” that depicts the relationship of Paul with the city of Damascus. This film premiered in Syria and was screened at the Vatican and in many other countries around the world.
