Where have you been, Brent?

“Where have you been, Brent?”  That’s the question I heard frequently these past three weeks during the few moments I found myself at Dar El Awlad.  Starting in the middle of June I was daily occupied with activities at the nearby Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS).  For one week I attended the Middle East Consultation organized by the Institute of Middle East Studies (IMES), an annual conference gathers people from the region and world to explore faith topics relevant to the Middle East today.  This year’s consultation examined the topic discipleship in a way that raised questions, stimulated discussion challenged conventions, and inspired hope in the incredible ways Christ is revealing Himself across this region.  Visit this IMES blog post to hear more about this year’s conference.

Following the conference I immediately jumped into my fourth and final graduate school two-week residency with MRel.  During this course we have studied the important topic of Middle East and North African Christianity.  The Middle East is the birthplace not just of Christ but the global phenomena of Christianity.  Much to the surprise of many outsiders, the Church in the region has maintained a 2,000 year presence through the perseverance of the in ancient Eastern Churches.  The story of Christianity in the Middle East is one of faithfulness to Christ in the midst of incredible challenges, both from within and from without.  During the two-week residency we met with leaders from numerous traditions, discussed the dynamic narrative of Eastern Christianity, and visited monasteries, holy sites, and churches of different kinds.  Throughout the time we explored the rich traditions of Eastern Christianity and asked how we in the 21^st century can work in wisdom, humility and service to see God’s people united in faith. 

These three weeks have flooded me with so much information and experience; my heart and mind are in overdrive trying to process it all.  Both events, the consultation and the residency, have raised big questions about what it means to be the Church, what it means to be Christian, and what it means to follow Christ.  These are questions that many in the Middle East are wrestling with in a new way, and it was extremely worthwhile to consider these matters seriously.  Though the study took me physically away from DEA, it was very much relevant to what we are trying to do in this ministry.  We are part of a much bigger story here.  God has done amazing things in this region and He continues to do so. What an honor it is to be here and see mere glimpses of what is happening in God’s Kingdom.  Trust me, it is far more than any of us can understand.

Examining manuscripts at a Greek Catholic monastery.  One of these pieces is 700 year old.  Another is the first ever gospel printed in Arabic.

A Rum Orthodox monastery in the North of Lebanon

A Maronite monastery built into the mountainside.

Monk's quarters.

A cave now used as a chapel at the monastery where we spent an evening.  Caves in the mountains provided sanctuary for the Christian tradition during times of intense persecution.