Professor Michel Abs

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9).

With this brief verse, the Lord Christ encapsulates a profound mystery revealed to humanity: that peace is not merely the absence of conflict or the cessation of strife; rather, it is an act, a process of building, and a craft, one that requires a great heart, a far-sighted vision, and steady hands.

Peace begins from within; a peacemaker is not born ready-made. Before sowing peace around himself, one must possess inner peace, peace with God, with oneself, and with one’s past. It is impossible for a person whose heart is filled with anger and bitterness to radiate serenity. Therefore, the first step toward making peace is reconciliation: acknowledging one’s wounds, forgiving those who caused hurt, and surrendering the guidance of one’s heart to the Lord of Peace. When the inner self finds calm, speech becomes gentle, and one’s gaze becomes more compassionate.

Peacemaking is a tireless endeavor. Jesus did not merely say, "Blessed are the peace lovers" but rather, "Blessed are the peacemakers." This implies that the task requires effort and exertion; it calls for initiative and action. A peacemaker is one who enters a tense situation and chooses words that soothe the atmosphere rather than inflame it; one who listens to both sides without prejudice; and one who waives their rights, not out of weakness, but out of strength, to preserve the bonds between people…

An Episode Entitled: "Transparency in Management and the Credibility of Institutions"

Interviewed By the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary

Produced By MECC

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) has launched "Light of Hope," a new bulletin series dedicated to documenting the ongoing ordeal in the Middle East, with a primary focus on the catastrophic situation in Lebanon. This publication serves as a "cry" for the people of the Antiochian Levant who have endured decades of pain.

Produced by MECC

“Ecumenical Horizons” is a weekly program that features spiritual, cultural, intellectual, educational, youth and environmental topics.

“Living Water”

Carrying the theme “Living Water” and the symbol “Immersion in Living Water,” inspired by Ezekiel 47:9 and 12, the Ecumenical Family in the Middle East and around the world unites to celebrate the “Season of Creation” 2026. This season constitutes an Ecumenical, Christian, and environmental station to contemplate and care for our common home, the Oikos of God.

Each year, the Season’s celebrations begin on September 1, the day that many Church Families celebrate as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and others celebrate as the Feast of Creation. It ends on October 4, with the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of ecology.

In this context, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), which is a Member of the Season of Creation Ecumenical Steering Committee, issues the guide for the “Season of Creation” 2026 in Arabic, after the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department translated into Arabic, as is customary annually.