Lebanon (MNN) — Decades of corruption and massive leadership failures in Lebanon led to an economic and political breakdown in 2019. Today, the country’s future remains in limbo.
“After the Civil War ended in 1990, there was a period of rebuilding. That rebuilding period devolved over 30 years into economic collapse,” Pierre Houssney of Horizons International says.
“All of the warlords of the Civil War just took off their camo uniforms, put on suits, and became politicians.”
Multiple calamities have led to unexpected spiritual results. “That’s a painful truth about humanity, right? It is like the prodigal son story. When he has his father’s inheritance and is going off and spending freely, he’s happy. He doesn’t feel like he needs God,” Houssney continues.
“But when he runs out of money and finds himself in the filth among the pigs, that’s when he realizes his need for his father.”
Widespread uncertainty in Lebanon leaves people looking for more. “The people of Lebanon, including almost two million refugees, have really ‘ripened’ to the Gospel,” Houssney says.
Believers recently held an outreach event in Beirut to introduce the hope available only through Christ. “It was a public evangelistic event; open-air worship and preaching the Gospel,” Houssney says.
“Thousands of people attended. The numbers were much higher than even what we saw in 2019.”
Through the Lebanon Crisis Fund and the Middle East Center for World Missions, Horizons seeks to support, uplift, and empower the local Church in Lebanon to make Kingdom impact across the entire region.
(Photo, caption courtesy of Horizons International)
Pray for a spirit of unity as churches and ministries like Horizons work together to reach Lebanon for Christ. “It has to be a team effort because this has become bigger than one organization or church,” Houssney says.
“It’s mass openness and a sort of mass revival.”
Help Horizons meet physical and spiritual needs amid Lebanon’s ongoing economic collapse.
Header and story images courtesy of Horizons International.
