A Lamp for Humankind
This speech was delivered by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel E. Abs, at the Signing of the Media Cooperation Memorandum Between MECC, Télé Lumière - Noursat, and the Near East School of Theology (NEST), on Wednesday 19 June 2024, at the offices of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut - Lebanon.
Dr. Michel E. Abs
The Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
"And they shall not light a lamp and put it under the bushel, but on the lampstand, it shall shine for all who are in the house." (Matthew 5:15).
Dear Brother Nour, Director of Noursat, always present among us with his love,
Dear Dr. George Sabra, President of the Near East School of Theology, Professor, Researcher, and Author,
Dear friends and colleagues,
Today, we take an ecumenical and humanitarian step par excellence, as part of the fiftieth anniversary of the Middle East Council of Churches, which includes all of us.
This step unites three Christian institutions that have long worked to bear witness to the Lord's message of salvation in service to humanity.
The Near East School of Theology, in addition to graduating generations of parish ministers across the Middle East for nearly a century, has been dedicated to serving the Lebanese and Levantine community. It stands as a scientific edifice and a beacon of thought while also being a springboard for services to its environment.
During the fierce war that devastated Lebanon, the seminary provided refuge for people, protecting them from spreading bombardments, supplying water when it was completely cut off from homes, and hosting the field hospital of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society during the Zionist invasion of Lebanon. The seminary also housed the warehouses of the Middle East Council of Churches during the Lebanon war, where we prepared and distributed medicines, food supplies, and other in-kind aid in its spacious basements. It also embraced the MECC’s Department of Audiovisual Production, and what we celebrate today is the continuity of this studio's work, producing media materials that help spread awareness and heal people's psychological and moral lesions.
Blessed is this college blessed are those who manage its affairs and the dedication of its leaders, including Dr. George Sabra, who played a key role in reaching this cooperation agreement.
Tele Lumiere/Noursat, launched and managed by Brother Nour with modest resources, has opened a new era in Christian media in the Levant, the Arab world, and globally. This giant institution, with its values and know-how, serves as a beacon, embodying the belief that faith must be shared and understood by people. Under the guidance of Brother Nour, it operates according to ecumenical principles, providing space on its screens for all who strive to spread the faith of salvation. This institution, now in its prime, behaves with the ecumenical spirit, and covers all parts of the world, addressing all social groups and accompanying people in their faith and life concerns, despite its limited resources. It represents the Holy Spirit's influence in strengthening faith and exemplifies the saying that faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains.
Blessed is this media edifice, and blessed are those who manage its affairs, including its president, the blessed Brother Nour. Thanks also go to media colleague Lea Adel Maamari, who facilitated this cooperation alongside the dialogue with the Near East School of Theology.
The Middle East Council of Churches, celebrating its fiftieth year, stands as a prime example of Christian togetherness. It unites all the churches of the region and has a long history in various fields, including development, media, publishing, youth and women's activities, human rights, service to refugees – Palestinians and others, and interfaith dialogue, particularly Christian-Muslim dialogue in Lebanon and the Arab world.
The MECC, within its ecumenical vision, observes the social phenomena in our countries, such as fragmentation, division, fanaticism, hate speech, societal collapse, poverty, and crime resulting from wars and displacement. It believes that media is a crucial tool for raising awareness and combating these issues, alongside development and educational work. Media fights ignorance, intolerance, discriminatory discourse, and hatred. By generalizing the doctrine of salvation and explaining its components and applications, media plays a key role in uniting society, spreading love, and fostering civil peace.
The Council's work in communication and media is rising, thanks to the creative team, and today's step gives this work a strong impetus forward.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In this age of knowledge, it is crucial for those who use communication means not as tools of vulgarity, but to raise their voices loudly, reaching as many people as possible across all segments of society. The conflict between those who trivialize life and those who sanctify it is raging, with tools of regression, superficiality, and division actively undermining our value system. The media-knowledge challenge is significant, and today's step is part of addressing this challenge. May the Lord help us in our endeavor.
Thus, we raise the lamp high, so that it illuminates the entire world!