Lebanon (MNN)–The shadow of a possible civil war looms over Lebanon today. Escalating violence and political instability between pro-Syrian and pro-Hezbollah supporters has forced the city to its knees.
As of late Thursday, sit-in protestors were still in place in Beirut. Martyrs Square is full of people who are resolved to topple the pro-Western government of Prime Minister Fouad Sinoria.
The atmosphere is tense Christian Satellite Network SAT-7 has also felt the impact, so says David Harder. “They had an entire day’s shoot scheduled on our women’s program that had to be cancelled. We had one celebration that was planned, being hosted by the Bible Society of Lebanon, which is a celebration for our ‘Year of the Family’. It has been a special campaign going all throughout the year, where we’ve had many programs on the air. This celebration had to be cancelled because the event organizer just felt they couldn’t invite people to come.”
Though SAT-7 is taking a neutral stance and not participating in the political tug-of-war, the staff is concerned about the future. So far, none of SAT-7’s 22 full time staff members have been directly affected by the political unrest.
Harder urges prayer for the local ministries like SAT-7 that are being affected both psychologically and logistically. In the meantime, the team continues to bring the hope of the Gospel to people through their broadcasts.
What’s more, they’re responding. “Once a week, we have this live show and they deal with difficult issues. They had a show, not long ago, on death, which you wouldn’t think would be a very uplifting thing, but it’s something that people have to deal with on a daily basis. So they talked about the hope Christians have, life after death, and peace that we can have in spite of situations that happen.”
Through locally-produced Arabic children’s programming, talk shows, teaching programs, music, serial dramas, and documentaries, SAT-7 provides large audiences with a unique opportunity to hear an accurate presentation of Christian truths in their own language through programming created by their own people.
