From Beirut, to Rome to Jerusalem city of faith, dream destination to all those seeking refuge in the arms of God, dream destination to all those seeking to lay their sight on the birth place and tomb of Jesus Christ, Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi is scheduled to tread the land that was once blessed by that who suspended the skies above and raised the land below.
1 Peter 1:3 - Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Walking through the holy land; a wish that will come true to our own Patriarch on May, 25 coupled with harsh criticism … why?
It is predictable that such a visit might actually carry some political significance to those seeking to plant the seed of hatred, an attempt thwarted by Bkerki’s envoy Bishop Boulos Sayyah who clearly slammed any rumor pertaining to political endeavors conducted by al-Rahi during his scheduled visit to Palestine.
“Normalizing relationships with Israel is laughable,” Bishop Sayyah said, stressing the Lebanese state’s role in dealing with such matters.
“Patriarch al-Rahi is not the state,” Sayyah said, “we are to set things straight, no one has the right to […] transform something utterly natural into a treason case, we will not respond al critics, they can say whatever they want.”
Will such a visit herald a new era? Will it allow us to visit the holy land?
Sayyah stressed the fact that political causes hinder such visits, once political ice is broken things are said to change. People are seeking to go, that is true, but one must not forget all those who were coerced into leaving Lebanon, for around three thousand Lebanese citizens have remained there and this visit will hopefully allow their voices to reach Al-Rahi’s ears, who will shepherd them back to their homeland.
In the hopes that voices will stir the Lebanese state to act and bring back home all those who were left behind in the holy land, Sayyah pointed out the nonchalant attitude of the Lebanese state concerning said issue, a sad reality that still hits homesick people in the gut.
“We wish we could visit it with you,” many told the Patriarch, will that day ever come?
John 11:25 - Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
Our hopes and dreams hang by a threat, strong yet vulnerable, shaken by the winds set by provocateurs, criminals and assassins, eyeing Lebanon with greed, sneering at our feeble attempts to reach our destination, we do believe and we do know, the destination grows closer
