The cross in Beruit

Watching a BBC news story, I found myself moved by how at one point the cameraman chose to zoom in on a church building in the middle of the bombed capital city of Beirut. The cross is always best seen when it is at the centre of human suffering. It cannot stand on the edge, nor can it take sides. In this shot, I see how the cross stands high above all brokenness as a symbol to declare peace and offer reconciliation.

Its shape points the way, upwards and outwards, with one overwhelmingly simple message: “Jesus loves you, Beirut… Jesus loves you, Jerusalem… Jesus loves you, Gaza…”

I can understand how this sounds simplistic, but then I suspect the same was said in Jesus’ day under Roman occupation when he said, “Love God…and love your neighbour as yourself”. The cross that I kneel at can be never be requisitioned to occupy the moral high ground, it can only ever be “a light on a hill”.

So as I see this simple church cross over the embattled city, I feel the need to stop, to clasp my hands tight, tight enough to slow the flow of blood in my fingers and pray, “No more, Lord, no more! Stop the violence and bring your healing.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c8j7134jjj0o