From Hell… Live Broadcast

Professor Michel Abs

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

As if the suffering of the Lebanese people, and the peoples of the region in general, were not enough, the disguised global war, wearing many masks, has come to increase our pain and agony.

Here in Lebanon, and among our neighbors in the blessed yet tormented Antiochian Levant, in the image of the Savior, we have been living through countless crises in our daily lives.

In addition to the political scene, which is beyond detailed description and can only be described in its worst terms, we face the economic and social scenes and all their derivatives.

On the economic front, this is a region stripped of its resources because it is deprived of sovereignty and independence. It cannot manage its resources according to its own interests, from the historical antiquities of our ancestors looted from beneath the ground, to our human resources scattered across the world in search of a better future, to our water, oil, and gas, and everything else we never possessed. Unemployment affects all segments of society, inflation strikes our standard of living due to the arbitrariness of capital owners, and wages are so low that our living conditions approach poverty, except for those who possess wealth, influence, and monopolies. The alliance of ruling groups in political and financial spheres renders the overwhelming majority of the population stripped of will and agency.

Socially, we face communities with fragmented structures on every level: family, regional, religious, sectarian, doctrinal, and ethnic. We have yet to move from the jungle logic, where bonds were based on fanaticism and strength ruled, to a societal logic where social contracts prevail, and merit or justice govern. Our youth are partially migrating due to political and economic reasons, and partially for social reasons concerning their future and aspirations.

As for the environment, there is no end to the damage.

Adding to this bleak picture is the ongoing war in the region, a proxy global conflict, which compounds our tragedy with whatever miseries wars inflict on powerless populations.

Daily life in Lebanon bears no resemblance to normal life; people move only in search of shelter and some sustenance.

Shelters are crowded with displaced persons, whose numbers have reached a quarter of the Lebanese population. Hotels are filled with those who can afford it. Roads are congested, making travel extremely difficult and dangerous. Shopping centers barely meet the needs of frightened people anxious about shortages of consumer goods. Hospitals are overcrowded with war casualties, electricity and water usage is high, as is pressure on communication networks, and the list goes on.

The most frightening factor, beyond anyone’s control, is the bombardment, which takes many forms and affects innocent people whose only concern is the safety and dignity of their families.

Warnings from the aggressors mix with rumors, leaving people panicked over reports, true or fabricated, about potential raids here or there. This panic is intensified by media images of demolished homes or the erasure of villages and areas from the Lebanese map.

Nothing devalues human life like war, a product of the tyranny of politics and money.

Human beings lose their worth because their lives and dignity mean nothing to those operating the machinery of war. With the push of a button, regions and communities can be annihilated. Wars have exposed the hypocrisy of those claiming to protect human rights—they have turned this great value into a tool for hypocrisy, oppression, and escape from accountability.

What is happening in Lebanon today surpasses all imagination, and we are certain that the rest of the region affected by this war is enduring the same tragedy. Yet Lebanon is impacted more due to its small size and vulnerability on multiple levels.

Daily life in Lebanon resembles hell, where no human can endure what is happening. Lebanese people expend their health, nerves, and wealth just to survive. Their capacity to persevere is high, but everything has its limits.

Amid all this, we remember the words of the Lord: “Take courage! I am He. Do not be afraid.” Through Him and His salvific message, hope springs forth, and we cling to it.