The responsable persons of the Movement in Lebanon wrote:

“Once again, here in Lebanon we experience that only God remains. Infrastructures that had just been finished after the war, crumble in a few seconds. More than 500.000 people from southern and eastern Lebanon (out of 4 million people) have left their homes in about a week. Bombings, deaths, wounds, what you see on Tv its all true. Just as the extraordinary experience we are doing: everything breaks down, but Love wins it all. After the initial dismay, fright and many “Why’s?”, love goes round, being stronger than hate.”
Christians and Muslism – “We also opened our homes to many of our muslim friends and their families. We met them over the last three years and started building a real fraternity. They have been main characters in living concrete love: mutual help in the kitchen, cleaning, playing with the children, helping other evacuees”.

God’s plan – “Nevertheless what the great powers of the world want you to believe, Lebanon is living God’s real plan for it: christians and muslims are living as real brothers and sisters. We really must thank God, who has brought out so much Good from this evil. Also our friends feel that even if the whole world would abbandon us, God never will.”
Unlimited Solidarity– “Food of all kinds, money, people living near and assuring their help for any need: among the suffering, there’s the joy of feeling we are real brothers and sisters”. Experiencing we are a “family”, makes us feel that love heals relationships and wounds, makes people feel less afraid, gives new hope and brings peace”.

 

We also received a  direct experience from some young people, commited in the solidarity actions promoted by the Movement. J. wrote:
The hardest challenge – “I would like to tell you about the war experience from another point of view: it is true  that we are living an “allarming” situation, which its making us move backwards and will have terrible consequences for Lebanon. It is also true that we don’t know what will happen in the future. If things go as they are, this conflict may become a  Middle East war… and who knows what else… BUT  in the present moment, the hardest challenge is to overcome the temptation of feeling powerless, which is burning us little by little”.

Go beyond ourselves and reach out our neighbour-  “ During the last community meeting of the Focolare Movement, last saturday, and the young people congress -that lasted saturday and sunday- we experienced going beyond ourselves and jumping from being observers to action. Reaching out  towards our neighbours: helping, loving…. maybe only by doing small things: as listening others, playing with the children. With some youngsters, we went to Beirut and met in two schools 600 refugees coming from the South. We brought them mattresses and other things they needed”.
“It is true, everything crumbles. However, it is also true that underneath this caos, God is there and He’s working. We only have to pay attention to his presence. Lets keep praying and, above all, lets keep living in the present moment. J”.

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