Issued by the Middle East Council of Churches

In these holy days, beginning with the remembrance of Christ’s entry—the King of Peace—into the Holy City, and extending through the Way of the Cross, from Golgotha to the Crucifixion and Resurrection, our attention turns to what is happening in the Middle East. We ask the Lord God to pour His peace upon this wounded land and its suffering peoples, and to dispel the darkness of violence with the light of His Divine Resurrection.

As we follow events with deep concern, we look especially to South Lebanon, the land visited by our Lord Jesus Christ, whom He blessed and praised the faith of its people. The people of the South have long suffered, repeatedly, from the devastations of war, violence, and displacement, and they have made enormous sacrifices to cling to their land and dignity.

Today, as the people of the South face renewed serious threats to their security, stability, and very existence, we express our full solidarity with them and salute their steadfastness and attachment to their land, despite harsh circumstances…