Open Air, Dinner Affair

Last weekend we held our annual fundraiser dinner and managed to put together a rather classy, successful affair.  It was my 11th time being part of this event, but for all of us it was the first time to host outside in the open air.  It took a great deal of work on all ends of the dinner (especially the task of getting the site in shape), but in the end all came together and around 300 guests and participants enjoyed the evening together.

A basketball court doesn't simply turn into a reception hall, but with lots of work and creativity it can become a fancy little venue.

School children formed a choir

The residential children performed a play about our individual value and uniqueness.

The special guest speaker was Henry Bell, who with his wife, Nancy, directed Dar El Awald throughout the 90s.  Here past director and current director, Joseph Ghattas, share the stage.

My main contribution to each fundraiser dinner is coordinating our crew of servers.  We've never hosted this many people (and we've never felt the pressure as much as we did this time) but it all went fine in the end.  The team did a good job.

but But the real heroes are the ones nobody sees!  

Book Release: "Strangers in the Kingdom: Ministering to Refugees, Migrants, and the Stateless"

The last few years has brought me face-to-face with the mounting dilemma of human displacement.  Large parts of this are due to my work with Kids Alive Lebanon, my connection to a large family network of Syrian refugees, and my personal interest in topic of statelessness. While this problem contains a myriad of dimensions, I firmly believe that faith dimensions reveal the implications of the crisis not only as it is now in the 21^st Century but as it always has been throughout human history.  This is what Rupen Das and I explore in our newly-published book, Strangers in the Kingdom: Ministering to Refugees, Migrants and the Stateless. 

All of us at some point have been strangers, and everyone has experienced the discomfort that comes with being out of place.  While this usually involves a series of momentary inconveniences, today historic numbers refugees, migrants and stateless individuals (more than an estimated 65 million) have seen their entire lives reduced to the unrelenting condition of being in a constant state of “stranger.”  It’s the tragedy at the heart of the global displacement crisis.  Our world is struggling mightily to cope with the fallout of displaced populations, and reactions to this global flux are yielding profound ramifications at political, legal, social and economic levels.  Yet God speaks directly to the phenomenon of displacement and its brutal undermining of human life.  The Bible laments the injustices facing refugees, migrants, and stateless individuals but protests against a narrative of misery by declaring a narrative of hope.  God's kingdom performs the dual function of confronting injustice with active compassion and inviting “strangers” into the most meaningful place of belonging.  But what does this look like practically?  Where do we see this in the Bible?  Why should people of faith care about the displaced?

These are questions Rupen Das and I examine in Strangers in the Kingdom.  The work is a nuanced practical theology meant to inform the Church’s mission to engage the displaced with the love of Christ.  We discuss core teachings of scripture that speak to the realities facing refugees, migrants and stateless individuals all while exploring God’s compassionate heart for the suffering.  Strangers in the Kingdom applies various methods, including:

• -         Information and analysis on the global context, scope and categories of displacement (refugee, IDP, migrant, & stateless)
• -          Survey of Old Testament and New Testament teachings on displacement and Early Christianity experiences with the displaced. 
• -          Theological exploration of place and belonging.
• -          Human testimonies of displacement.
• -          Case studies of churches and organizations ministering to the displaced.
• -          Discussion questions.

It has been a pleasure to work with Rupen Das on this book.  He was an influential instructor and supervisor in my graduate studies and his teachings have profoundly influenced my own personal faith and ministry (I strongly suggest Compassion and the Mission of God for a robust study on God’s concern for the poor).  Likewise, everyone at Langham Literature has proven to be top-notch in their professionalism and commitment to supporting the global church through the production and distribution of literature.  I have learned a great deal in the process of writing this book and am ever grateful for the invitation to be part of the effort.

Strangers in the Kingdom has never just been about addressing an issue or a dilemma but rather about turning our minds and hearts to the countless inspiring individuals who face displacement with firm faith and steady grace.  Our desire is simply to help steer this important discussion deeper into the reality of every displaced person’s humanity and higher into the boundless measures of God’s goodness and hope.  It is individual people that make this book meaningful to me and I pray that that this book will in some small way be meaningful to the Church as we walk out in our mission to be people of the kingdom.  I’m excited to share this book with you and look forward to hearing your feedback and responses.

God’s Peace,

Brent Hamoud

Strangers in the Kingdom is available at all major bookselling sites, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  For special or bulk orders please contact the publishers at literature@langham.org.