Lebanon (MNN) — Hopes for peace
are pinned to Lebanon's unity government. Rival political parties are divvying
up the cabinet positions. The deal,
reached in Qatar in late May, came after weeks of deadly sectarian fighting
that threatened to tip into civil war.
Under Lebanon's sectarian
power-sharing arrangement, the country's president is a Maronite Christian, the
prime minister is a Sunni Muslim and the speaker of Parliament is a Shiite.
As of Tuesday, July 08, no
announcements had been made yet, although the government is reportedly on the
verge of announcing the cabinet formation.
Weeks of political deadlock led
to the delay in the announcement of the new government positions between the
pro-Western majority coalition and Hezbollah-led opposition.
However, the sense of relief, says
SAT-7's David Harder, is overwhelming. "The staff really appreciates the
prayers. They do want to thank God. It does look like Lebanon will be stable.
They're very hopeful. There's still a
lot of instability within the system, so be praying for Lebanon that it would
remain at peace."
Shops are open, and the mood of
the people on the street is optimistic. SAT-7 has a team of around 20 full-time Lebanese
personnel, plus free-lancers, who live and work in Beirut.
Their staff is reflecting this
new hope in the programming they're producing in Lebanon. Harder says although the country is moving
forward, "They need prayer that
they'd be able to do that, that we'd have the funding to be able to make the
many programs that we'd like to make, that the situation would remain peaceful,
and that many people would be drawn to the broadcasts, and their lives would be
touched, they'll be encouraged, and they'll find hope in Jesus Christ."
