An Arab Christian Channel aims to lighten and share hope amid people in Beirut after the devastating explosion early this month.
The explosion has exacerbated the already struggling state of Lebanon. Thousands of families are displaced from their homes. And the blast injured 6,000 and killed at least 171 people. Citizens of Beirut are slowly losing hope.
Arab Christian Channel
But, SAT-7 will not tolerate the sense of despair looming over the city. George Makeen, director of SAT-7 Arabic Channel, told CBN News of their efforts in giving aid to Beirut. “We started to broadcast prayers and for people,” he said. “For their safety, for those who lost loved ones and for the responsible people in the government – the government positions. So, God may open their eyes so we can save people from this misery.”
He added, “By Thursday another broadcast just people praying and worshipping and speaking about where we can find hope, how we can find hope in such pain.”
Apparently, the channel’s studio has received minor damage from the blast even though it is located several miles away from the epicenter. But, the blast damaged many of the staff’s houses. Despite their condition, they chose to help others who are much more in need.
“They were in the streets downtown, trying to clean and trying to distribute food (and) drinks to people and just pray with them – tell them that we feel with (them). In the coming few days we have a campaign, ‘Hope for Lebanon’,” Makeen shared.
The campaign will pray at the time of the explosion for two weeks, hoping to ease the memory in Beirut.
But Makeen revealed that although it is important to clean up the damage in the buildings, their focus goes beyond the physical. “It’s much more important to build human capacity and build people trust in the future than just building the buildings and this is what I wish and what I pray and can contribute by what we are doing in our programs,” he said.
He desires Lebanon’s restoration and for it to be a beacon of light to the Arab world.
